Whooping cough cases approach near record numbers
Whooping cough is often referred to as pertussis. According to Nationwide Children's Hospital's Chief of Infectious Diseases, Dr. Jason Newland, there are over 32,000 recorded cases this year alone in the U.S. which is six times greater than last year.
Dr. Newland said they're also noticing a spike in cases across the state.
'In Ohio, we're double the amount of last year at 1600 cases reported,' he said.
Dr. Newland said whooping cough often presents similar symptoms as the common cold. This can include fever, runny nose, and eventually an aggressive cough.
'The difference is the cough can come in paroxysms, but the better word for it is just a lot at one time to where we hear that we say whoop because you cough, cough, cough, cough, cough and then you go whoop because you've got to breathe,' he said.
Dr. Newland said the whooping cough vaccination is the best way to prevent it starting at two months old.
'And then because the vaccine is not perfect, meaning it doesn't provide me protection the rest of my life, you really need to get it every ten years,' Dr. Newland said.
Dr. Newland said the problem they're seeing is less people are getting vaccinated.
'You and I, we get pertussis, we're going to cough, and we're going to cough a lot, and we might cough 100 days, and we might cough so much we break a rib, or we cough so much that we want to vomit, all terrible things which is why I want my vaccine,' Dr. Newland said.
According to Dr. Newland, the most susceptible group is infants.
'They can come to the hospital not breathing,' Dr. Newland said. 'They can have neurologic conditions making them seize and they can die.'
This is why as you gather for the holidays, Dr. Newland recommends taking proper precautions.
'You can always wear a mask to prevent things like pertussis, things like RSV, things like influenza,' Dr. Newland said. 'Influenza's rip roaring right now. All of these things you do and let's not forget washing our hands, you can use distance. We learned these things during the pandemic. We can keep doing that to protect us against pertussis and all of these respiratory illnesses.'
Dr. Newland said treatment is simple, but whooping cough is an airborne disease which makes it highly contagious.
'If we all get vaccinated that are going to be around the youngest and most vulnerable, we help protect them even more,' Dr. Newland said. 'So, having 30,000 cases is scary because you know there's some infants in that and you're putting others at risk.'
Whooping cough is also often referred to as the 100-day cough because it can last for weeks or months.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
3 hours ago
- NBC News
Las Vegas' growing mosquito problem is 'a ticking time bomb'
LAS VEGAS — If at one time it was thought mosquitoes couldn't survive in desert climates, this city is a case study in how wrong that is. Mosquitoes typically prefer more tropical, humid conditions, but these biting machines have exploded in number throughout the Las Vegas Valley in recent years because of a host of changes. A mix of urban development, climate change, insecticide resistance and genetic adaptations are creating a more hospitable environment for the insects in southern Nevada. Las Vegas is hardly alone in its battle against the pesky insects. Warmer temperatures and shifting weather patterns are expanding the geographic range in which mosquitoes live and breed. In many ways, what's happening here is playing out across the desert Southwest, and beyond. The mosquitoes have brought with them not only the nuisance of bug bites, but also the major threat of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever and West Nile virus to Las Vegas and the rest of Clark County. It's also caught people off guard. 'People aren't wrong that mosquitoes shouldn't really thrive in desert conditions, but it's clear that the particular set of species that we do have in Clark County has adapted to the local ecology,' said Louisa Messenger, an assistant professor in the department of environmental and global health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. 'A ticking time bomb' The species that have taken hold in Clark County include Culex mosquitoes, which can carry West Nile virus, and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the primary spreaders of dengue. What's more, Messenger and her colleagues at UNLV have found that mosquitoes in Las Vegas are becoming resistant to insecticides, a major public health risk in a city built on tourism. 'It is a little bit of a ticking time bomb,' Messenger said. She has for some time been concerned about how vulnerable Las Vegas is to mosquito-borne diseases. In particular, dengue has been surging in North America and South America, with more than 13 million cases recorded across the continents in 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 'In Vegas, we have more than 48 million visitors coming through our doors every year from all over the planet,' Messenger said. 'It just takes a couple of mosquito bites to start local transmission.' Last year, there were 26 reported cases of West Nile virus in humans in Las Vegas, according to the Southern Nevada Health District, trailing the city's largest outbreak of 43 cases in 2019. Yet, in 2024, scientists still found a record number of mosquitoes that tested positive for the virus in and around the city, which suggests the risk of exposure was very concerning. This year, the public health department hasn't identified any human cases so far, even as mosquitoes have tested positive for the virus in certain ZIP codes. Messenger said it's not well understood what specific factors fuel outbreaks in some years and not in others. 'We see these overlapping factors but they are quite difficult to tease it apart,' she said. 'All we can say for certain is that we have these bumper years and these zero years, and they are hard to predict.' The Southern Nevada Health District has been conducting mosquito surveillance in the region since 2004. Its meticulous records show which mosquito species are present across the Las Vegas Valley year after year and where these flying insects have tested positive for diseases. One of the most astonishing trends in the data was the explosive growth of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which were first identified in Las Vegas in 2017, said Vivek Raman, environmental health supervisor for the Southern Nevada Health District. The 'relentless biters' are spreading 'In 2017, this mosquito was found in just a few ZIP codes,' said Raman, who oversees the health district's mosquito surveillance program. 'A few years later, it was six ZIP codes. Then 12 ZIP codes, then maybe 20, and now it's in 48 different ZIP codes across the valley.' In addition to being able to spread dengue, these insects are a major nuisance. 'Aedes aegypti are very aggressive daytime-biting mosquitoes,' Raman said. 'They are just relentless biters.' Unlike Culex mosquitoes, which prefer breeding near larger sources of water such as untended swimming pools, culverts or detention basins, Aedes aegypti tend to breed in much shallower standing water. 'One of the reasons they are spreading so quickly is the mosquito can lay its eggs in small containers, like if rain fills a child's toy or tires or a wheelbarrow,' Raman said. 'All it takes is a couple inches of water.' Urban development in Las Vegas has also inadvertently spurred the spread of mosquitoes in the city. Golf courses, human-made lakes and other forms of artificial irrigation have all made this outpost in the Nevada desert a welcome home for mosquitoes, according to Messenger. Climate change is likely also a factor, and it's an active area of research for Messenger and other scientists. Warmer temperatures are expanding the range of geographies for mosquitoes around the world. A warmer atmosphere can also hold more moisture, which increases humidity and rain, both mosquito-friendly conditions. In Las Vegas, how the interplay between local environmental factors and changing climate trends is affecting mosquito populations is less well understood, but the implications are paramount. 'Las Vegas is kind of a case study for what climate change is going to look like in other parts of the world,' Messenger said. 'We're seeing record-breaking temperatures, we're becoming much more arid, precipitation is becoming much more aberrant and unpredictable. That's what large parts of the world are going to look like over the next 15 to 25 years.' What that means for mosquitoes in the city remains to be seen, but the problem so far shows no sign of slowing. The Southern Nevada Health District conducts public outreach on how to identify and protect against mosquito breeding sites in and around homes, and how to prevent mosquito bites. But, controlling the number of mosquitoes in the city — and thus controlling the public health risk — will require a coordinated effort from the local government, Messenger said. Currently, there isn't one in Las Vegas. 'You've got private pest companies that people can call for severe infestations, you have some work going on around wetlands, but what we don't have, which many other jurisdictions have, is a centralized, coordinated abatement,' Messenger said. That lack of coordination has resulted in mosquito populations building up resistance to insecticides, she added. A centralized effort could assess which chemicals are safe to use — particularly around humans — and monitor the performance of insecticides and pesticides to prevent mosquitoes from building up immunity. In the years ahead, Messenger said, prevention and control will be key to protecting the residents of Las Vegas and its many visitors from around the world. 'The bottom line is that this is entirely preventable,' she said. 'Nobody in southern Nevada, in Clark County, should be getting bit by mosquitoes and contracting any kind of virus.'
USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
Question of the Week: How concerned are you about dengue fever?
How concerned are you about dengue fever? Editor's note: It's vacation time. That means you'll have two weeks to make your voice heard on today's topic. Question of the Week will return on Sunday, Aug. 31. I live beachside and have for 20 years. This is literally the first year I've had to buy citronella candles to ward off mosquitos in my backyard. Actually, my front porch rockers have seen little use this year because of those blood-sucking pests as well. Other than the annoying buzzing in the ear and pinches of pain, I never really gave the loathsome insect much thought. Until now, that is. As reported by my colleague, Jim Waymer, experts are puzzled at why a disease ― spread by mosquitoes ― that typically affects the tropics has made its way to Brevard County for the first I'm talking about dengue fever. The Florida Health Department has confirmed eight cases of the illness here on the Space Coast, a number that might be higher by the time you read this. Dengue fever? Sounds like something from a Tarzan movie. What's next, malaria? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dengue fever can cause flu-like symptoms ―including severe muscle aches and joint pain, fever, and maybe even a rash-- ranging from mild to potentially fatal if left untreated. It takes about two weeks for symptoms to start showing up. Great. Another thing to worry about. This dengue fever news came out a few days before World Mosquito Day on Aug. 20. No, it's not a celebration of the deadly insect, but rather a day to recognize the deadly impact on global health this insect has. Mosquito expert Gordon Patterson wrote a column this week about the simple things we can do to minimize risk of getting a mosquito-borne disease. The main thing is to eliminate standing water on your property, like open trash bins that have collected rain. This is where mosquitoes breed, lay eggs. I'm not gonna lie, I'm concerned about the number of mosquitoes I'm seeing lately and this tropical illness that has come to our county. I'm curious to know what you think about it. And that brings us to the Question of the Week: Are you concerned about mosquito-borne illnesses, like dengue fever? Why or why not? You can scan the QR code that is on the print edition page or go to Please leave a comment telling us why you voted the way you did. In order for your comment or email to be published on our website and in next week's print edition, you must include your first and last name. You can also shoot me an email with "mosquito" in the subject line. I look forward to reading your responses. Last Sunday I asked: Is the Department of Homeland Security out of line in trying to recruit local officers assisting them during immigration sweeps? Why or why not? Results: Your comments: I don't have a problem with ICE recruiting from other law enforcement agencies, a standard practice.I do have a problem with ICE's massive, disproportional budget that puts local understaffed LEO's at a major disadvantage as they're unable to compete with lucrative offers. ICE funding allocations have also contributed to increasing the federal debt despite GOP legislators reducing funding to vital programs that serve We The People. -- Kathy Ojeda The only way to recruit is to offer incentives. Umfortimately for local authorities their departments act as a stepping stone for the officers to better themselves. Competition for employees will always result in higher wages. -- Gregory Sanders Terrible that ICE will use the good intentions of Florida Sheriffs like our Wayne Ivey. It's truly a stab in the back:. No good deed goes unpunished! But wait, the sheriffs should by now know Trump will deceive and toss anyone under his bus to get his way. Sorry sheriffs, when you sleep with the devil you get no good end. Be careful in the future what you quickly agree to. -- H.L. Singer Why not? If DHS has this much excess funding to use in recruiting, why not recruit existing LEOs? Makes sense to me. Another source for DHS would be soon to separate Military Police. I won't say this of BCSD, but usually when the term poaching is used, the 'poacher' is usually offering better working conditions, or better pay, or better benefits. -- Greg Pierce 80,000 have already applied, no need to poach. -- John Weller It's called competition. As an exteme example, a few AI techno-nerds are the beneficiaries of NBA-like salaries. Yes, ICE recruiting creates problems on the local level but for now it's good to be a cop for a change! Disclaimer: I am neither a cop nor even related to one. -- John Pare This is still, at least for now, a free country. Everyone has the right to offer, receive, and consider job opportunities. There are too many politicians that want to control everything. And why wouldn't we want individuals to advance their careers and improve their financial situation? It seems personal rights and free speech matter only when things go your way. I also want our best to stay local, but they have free will. -- Jennifer A. Roberts Not only is ICE out of line recruiting, but offering the incentives of money, power and weapons surely attract the wrong individuals for the job. It seems they are following orders that defy our Constitution, enabled by a President who has chosen to ignore that document. -- Linda Moore A secret police force should not exist in the United States. This mirrors the beginning of the Nazi takeover of Germany. It continues with the assault on freedom of the press, the universities, and voting rights. All of this is the Nazi playbook. Wake up! -- Catherine Kornek ICE recruitment efforts are part of the free market. While viewed as bad taste by Sheriff Ivey, I view it as opportunity to help the country while promoting excellent Sheriff deputies and opening up opportunities for more local and regional recruitment by Sheriff Ivey. This means he will have to be more competitive and the County will pay more which overall will lift the Police community through higher pay, bonuses and benefits. -- Brian Wilkins Our Governor and most County and City law enforcement agencies and some State agencies such as FWC, have proudly helped detain and deport illegals including those with not even a speeding ticket. They also likely supported ICE's expansion. How could these patriotic action backfire? Well this support for ICE will weaken most law enforcement agencies as they raid lower paying law enforcement agencies. Local law enforcement wages are low and constrained by an unwillingness to raise property taxes. Now there will be more pressure to raise those wages and more property taxes to pay for them. Meanwhile our Governor wants to eliminate property taxes and raise other taxes which would be controlled by the State. This will make our counties go to the State to beg for tax money that will apparently come from a substantial increase in sales taxes. Meanwhile the State DOGE will cut funding for all counties. Instead of complaining, Sheriffs like Ivey should be proud that ICE values their employees. Local law enforcement will just have to do more with less. Because we deserve quick response by our law enforcement officials. -- Anthony Carrollo Contact Torres at jtorres@ You can follow him on X @johnalbertorres Multimedia editor Rob Landers contributed to this report. Support local journalism and become a subscriber. Visit
Epoch Times
20 hours ago
- Epoch Times
Malfunctioning Insulin Pumps Recalled After 59 Injuries
San Diego-based Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. is voluntarily recalling insulin pumps used to manage blood sugar, the company said in an Aug. 12 announcement by the Food and Drug Administration. Insulin pumps are wearable devices that deliver insulin at predetermined doses at specific times. Such devices can feature alarm functions to alert users about various situations, such as issues with insulin delivery.
