Whooping cough surging in Kane County
After dropping to zero cases in 2021 and notching just 16 in 2023, Whooping cough has surged this year in Kane County, with 92 cases on record so far.
Also known as pertussis, whooping cough typically starts with cold-like symptoms like a runny nose, a little cough and a low-grade fever. It then develops into coughing so severe that sufferers — often babies and children — gasp for air. Their struggle to breathe becomes the telltale “whoop” of its name.
“One thing with pertussis is that it’s cyclical,” said Uche Onwuta, director of the county’s Health Protection Division. “Every few years, we see an increase.”
The increase in Kane County is not unusual. She said all surrounding counties are seeing the same thing.
“Nationally, we are seeing a spike in pertussis as well,” Onwuta said. “It’s not unusual to have peaks and valleys with pertussis. We’ve seen that over the years.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Illinois had 2,388 cases in 2022 and 5,611 last year.
Getting a quick diagnosis not only allows for treatment with antibiotics but makes it easier for health officials to track others who may have been exposed to it, Onwuta said.
“That way, we can identify the close contacts and those who are high risk and getting them to treatment post-exposure — prophylaxis treatment,” she said.
A bacterium known as Bordetella pertussis, Latin for “intensive cough,” causes whooping cough. The highly contagious bacteria spreads through the air and attaches to the cilia of respiratory cells.
The bacteria’s toxins paralyze these cells, bringing on bursts of coughing as the body struggles to rid itself of mucus. Full recovery from whooping cough can take up to six weeks.
In addition to vaccinating babies and children, Onwuta said it is especially important for pregnant women to be vaccinated at 27 to 36 weeks to protect the baby.
The immunity is passed on to protect the baby until he or she receives the first vaccination at 2 months.
Those who will be in close contact with the baby should get the booster shot, Onwuta said.