Whooping cough outbreak cases climb in Henderson County

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (FOX Carolina) - Public health officials in Henderson County said they have confirmed dozens of new cases of pertussis, also known as whooping cough.

When the Henderson County Department of Public Health announced the outbreak on April 25, there were 27 confirmed cases. As of May 2, there are 53 confirmed cases.

The agency is working to notify anyone else who may have been exposed. Most of the patients are school-aged children. Officials added that the outbreak isn’t tied to a specific location and that most transmissions happened within families.

Symptoms of whooping cough typically develop within 5 to 10 days of exposure but sometimes take as long as 21 days. Officials explained that the symptoms include mild fever, a runny nose and a severe cough that could last for weeks or months.

Infants, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are at highest risk for severe complications or death due to whooping cough. Anyone who develops symptoms is encouraged to contact their healthcare provider earlier than they normally may

The Department of Public Health encourages families to make sure they are up-to-date on vaccinations. The childhood vaccine for pertussis, DTaP, decreases in effectiveness over time, so booster shots are needed.

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