Kentucky county declares outbreak for highly contagious respiratory disease
A highly contagious respiratory illness known as pertussis has been declared an outbreak by the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department following nine confirmed cases since late April and three additional cases Monday.
The health department urges all caregivers in central Kentucky to be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of the disease.
Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, affects individuals of all ages but those with the highest risk are infants and people with chronic diseases. The bacteria that cause whooping cough can spread easily from person to person through the air by either coughing or sneezing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department issued the alert Monday, stating that the last three cases were from two Lexington-area schools and one from the surrounding community.
What is pertussis, or whooping cough, and how does it spread?
Pertussis is a very contagious respiratory infection caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis. It is named for the “whooping” sound a person infected with the disease can make following a coughing fit.
The infection can spread very easily from person to person when an individual sneezes or coughs, causing small particles infected with the disease to be released into the air. Common areas for the outbreak to occur include schools, childcare centers and hospitals.
How to know if you've been exposed and best way to prevent the disease
Early symptoms of whooping cough are similar to those of a common cold and can include runny or stuffed-up nose, coughing and mild or low fever. If symptoms persist, an infected person can develop severe or uncontrollable coughing fits, which can last from one to 10 weeks, according to the CDC.
The best prevention for whooping cough is to get vaccinated. There are two types of vaccines for the disease: Children under 7 should receive the DTaP vaccine while older children and adults receive the Tdap.
Should Louisville residents be worried?
“There have been sporadic cases of pertussis reported in Louisville Metro this year, but no community outbreaks at this time," said Dr. Kris Bryant, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Norton Children’s Hospital.
Bryant said pertussis can be deadly for young infants and urged residents to get vaccinated.
“Vaccination remains the best way to protect everyone from pertussis and keep the bacteria from spreading in our community," she said.
In an email statement, Kevin Hall, communications officer for the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department, said the department issued the alert because students will be out of school soon, which could potentially lead to the spread of the disease.
“Because pertussis is highly contagious and with schools closing soon, meaning kids will be visiting all across the state and country, we wanted to issue this outbreak alert so all of Kentucky would be mindful of the spread,” Hall said.
The last day of school for Jefferson County students is Friday.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Whooping cough outbreak in Kentucky
