In 2023, three people were diagnosed with whooping cough in Mississippi. Last year, that number rose to 46. Dr. Renia Dotson is Mississippi’s state epidemiologist.
“Whooping cough is a respiratory disease that is caused by a bacterium, Bordetella pertussis,” she said. “It is characterized by what we call paroxysms of coughing. We just have this onset of coughing that is very severe.”
Babies and young children who may not have had all their immunizations are particularly at risk. The elderly, unvaccinated and immunocompromised can also have severe complications from the disease.
“Patients usually have such a violent coughing that they end up vomiting afterwards,” Dr. Dotson said. “In small children, they can actually have small periods where they actually stop breathing.”
Dr. Dotson says during the pandemic, the number of people with whooping cough decreased because of social distancing and other preventative measures.
“Now we're seeing back to the 2019 numbers,” she said. “We think that part of that is that you can see it in both vaccinated and unvaccinated people, obviously in the unvaccinated people, because they have not had any protection for it, but the vaccines themselves can wane or wear off.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whooping cough outbreaks can occur in schools, childcare centers and hospitals.
“The vaccine is probably the most effective way to treat and protect oneself,” Dr. Dotson said.
According to the CDC, the bacteria that causes whooping cough can spread from the start of symptoms and for at least 2 weeks after coughing begins. If a guardian suspects that someone is unvaccinated, Dr. Dotson does not recommend that they bring babies around that person.
“People should definitely pay attention to it because it could be a very significant disease that can be deadly, particularly in small children,” she said.
Dr. Dotson says if anyone is unsure about their vaccination record, they can contact their local health department for shot records.
A diagnosis of the disease can be determined from either a mucus or a blood test, according to the CDC. Whooping cough is usually treated with antibiotics. Babies as young as two months old can begin receiving the DTaP vaccine.
