Norovirus 2025: How To Stay Safe As Outbreaks Surge In US
Chronic Cough Cases Rise: Pertussis Among Top Concerns, Experts Warn
CINCINNATI (WKRC) — If you're struggling with a chronic cough, it may be linked to several illnesses that are on the rise, according to public health providers.
One significant concern is pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, which poses the greatest risk to babies. However, recent preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that adults are increasingly contracting whooping cough as well.
"Six times as many cases were reported last year than the year before," said Dr. Stephen Feagins, Hamilton County Public Health Medical Director. "Pertussis can in fact result in a cough for 100 days; people even call it the 100-day cough."
The whooping cough vaccine remains the best preventive measure against pertussis, but its usage has declined. Treatment for pertussis involves azithromycin, commonly known as the Z-pack.
"We not only treat individuals with pertussis, a child or whatever, but we also treat the family members," said Feagins.
Another reason for a chronic cough could be irritation from a wet spring, which has led to a severe allergy season across much of the country. Dr. Feagins advises that if a cough persists for more than three weeks, it should be evaluated by a doctor.
"You could have something irritating from above, allergic rhinitis, dripping down, irritating the diaphragm," said Feagins.
A third potential cause is a complication from asthma, which can also lead to a chronic cough.
"The cough is sort of a variant of a bronchospasm," said Feagins.
Doctors recommend seeking medical attention if a cough worsens instead of improving after a few weeks.
Queensland Hit By Surge In Whooping Cough Cases As Experts Blame Low Vaccination Levels
News Corp Australia uses software that manages crawler bot traffic on our websites. If you receive this message and are not a crawler bot (and are just a reader or subscriber), please try these steps first:If you still need to be unlocked as a reader, subscriber or crawler bot, please e-mail us at accessissues@news.Com.Au and provide the IP address and reference number shown here along with why you require access.
Your IP address is: 167.71.87.121Your reference number is: 0.6d24c317.1748566979.C204bf66
News Corp Australia.
Arizona Whooping Cough Cases Are Up 80% From Same Time Last Year While Vaccination Rate Falls
Published May 22, 2025 at 2:52 PM MST
Listen • 0:46
It's not even halfway through the year, and Arizona is already on track to see the highest number of annual whooping cough cases in a decade.
Whooping cough, or pertussis, caseloads began surging nationwide in 2024 and have been rising even higher so far in 2025. The Arizona Department of Health Services has reported 464 probable and confirmed cases of pertussis as of mid-May, which is an 80% increase compared to the same time last year.
On average for the last five years, the state has reported only about 331 cases annually.
Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, a pediatrician and professor of the practice at the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, said the virus is most dangerous for small babies, who are too young to be vaccinated.
"It is just awful. Children are suffering terribly, they're gasping for breath, they have trouble bringing in air, and their parents are suffering terribly watching them," Sharfstein said.
Sharfstein said family members or anyone who has contact with infants should take extra precautions.
"People should be vaccinated and you should be vigilant about coughs for all the people who are around a small baby," Sharfstein said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends infants and children under 7 years old receive routine vaccinations against whooping cough. Adults should get vaccinated every 10 years as part of the Tdap booster, which also protects against tetanus and diphtheria. The CDC also recommends women get the Tdap shot during the third trimester of every pregnancy to help protect babies from whooping cough in the first few months of life.
The pertussis vaccination rate among Arizona kindergarteners has been falling, according to the ADHS. About 89% were vaccinated last year, compared to about 95% a decade earlier.
Health care executives from across the state joined Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs to call on the state's congressional delegation to reject Medicaid cuts included in a federal tax cut and spending plan backed by President Donald Trump.
The Phoenix Union High School District has started offering health care services at two of its campuses.
Last week, the Arizona Department of Agriculture announced that bird flu had been discovered at a commercial farm in Maricopa County. Now, a second facility in the county has now been affected.
After years of steep increases, the number of drug overdose deaths in Arizona leveled off from 2022 to 2023, according to new data from the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Listen • 0:48
The American Lung Association's annual air quality report shows that some of the most polluted air is in the areas around Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, and Salt Lake City, but some of the cleanest is in the mountain areas in Wyoming, Colorado, St. George, Utah and Prescott Valley.
Listen • 1:17
Load More
Comments
Post a Comment