Pertussis Cases in Babylon Town Increase to Four

The number of cases of pertussis, known as whooping cough, in the Town of Babylon has now increased to four since the Suffolk County Department of Health Services confirmed the as of July 1.

The four cases are part of the larger number of 75 western Suffolk cases the SCDHS has confirmed since the initial in the Town of Smithtown at the end of June. It started with in the town’s , and prompted an SCDHS warning to residents.

But health officials assured that this isn’t something out of the ordinary, and urged residents not to worry.

“Pertussis is something that’s already in the community. Each year the department records cases – about 75 on average,” SCDHS spokesperson Grace Kelly-McGovern told Patch.

SCDHS officials said that in 2010 there were 54 cases recorded in the Suffolk; in 2009, 75 cases.

As to why there are so many cases being recorded now, Kelly-McGovern said it could be one of two reasons.

“This year we could be experiencing a spike, since it’s cyclical, and different areas will have a spike at different times,” she said. “Or it could be increased surveillance.”

The important message for residents from county health officials is to make sure adults and children are properly immunized.

“The chances of catching it from someone whose immunization has waned, or who was never immunized, lessens as more people get immunized,” Kelly-McGovern said.

Health officials have also encouraged parents to make sure their children’s are up to date. Caretakers of children and babies have also been encouraged to get vaccinated, since the younger the child is, the more dangerous pertussis is.

Immunization authorities have recommended the DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis) vaccine be given at two, four, six and 15 to 18 months of age and between four and six years of age.

The Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis) booster vaccine for adolescents and adults is especially recommended for adults who previously received only the Td (tetanus, diphtheria) immunization.

While the vaccine isn’t 100 percent effective, it can mitigate the course of the illness, the SCDHS assured.

In addition, “treatment with appropriate antibiotics, such as Zithromax, will shorten the time a person can spread pertussis to five days after the beginning of treatment,” said Dr. Kathy Thompson, county director of communicable diseases, in a SCDHS release about the outbreak.

Parents and physicians who’ve questions about pertussis may contact the SCDHS’ Division of Public Health at 631-853-3055.

Editor's Note: The SCDHS issued a new warning about pertussis (whooping cough) in October 2011. Read about it .