Whooping Cough on the rise in Curry County Published Nov. 4, 2015 By Airman 1st Class Lynshae Dabney 27th Special Operations Aerospace Medicine Squadron CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- The New Mexico Department of Health announced yesterday an increase in whooping cough cases within Curry County. Whooping cough, sometimes known as “pertussis,” is a highly contagious bacterial disease that is spread when a person that is already infected coughs or sneezes near others. As of Nov. 3, there have been 13 cases confirmed in Curry County, including seven school-aged children and two infants who have been hospitalized. Parents of exposed children to confirmed cases of the whooping cough were issued letters with instructions to see their medical provider for preventive treatment and laboratory testing. Symptoms of the whooping cough infection may include coughing fits followed by a loud “whooping” sound. The coughing may be severe enough to cause vomiting. The disease can be spread from the onset of symptoms up until 3 weeks after. The New Mexico Department of Health recommends the following to help reduce the spread of whooping cough: -All pregnant women should receive a Tdap booster ideally between week 27 and 36 of each pregnancy. -All infants and children should receive the primary series of pertussis vaccine, called DTaP, at 2, 4, 6 and 12-18 months of age. -All children should receive a booster dose, called DTaP, prior to school entry at 4 to 6 years of age. -Children between 7 and 10 years of age who are behind on whooping cough vaccine should get a Tdap. -Children should receive a booster dose of Tdap at entry to middle school if they have not received one previously. -Anyone caring for or spending time with an infant should receive a Tdap booster if they have not received one in the past, including people 65 and older. -All healthcare personnel should receive a Tdap booster, as soon as feasible, if they have not received or are unsure if they have previously received a dose of Tdap. To date, there have been no confirmed cases diagnosed at Cannon. The Public Health Office is working with the base Child Development Centers and Youth Center to help prevent the spread of the whooping cough. For more information, please visit the following sites: http://nmhealth.org/about/erd/ideb/pep/ http://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/index.html http://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/about/faqs.html http://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/about/bam-villain-for-kids-fs.html If you have any questions about the whooping cough, please contact the Public Health Office at 575-784-1770.