41 Whooping Cough Cases Now Reported in Montgomery County
The number of whooping cough cases in Montgomery County has reached 41 as of Oct. 2, according to the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services.
Bordetella pertussis bacteria
Photo | CDC
According to Mary Anderson, public information officer for the health department, 32 children and nine adults have been reported to the health department as having pertussis or whooping cough.
Anderson said 12 schools in the county have reported a case of pertussis to the county health department.
In 2010 the county reported nine pertussis cases; in 2011- 18; in 2012- 78 and in 2013 there were 40 cases, according to Anderson.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, pertussis is a very contagious disease caused by a type of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. These bacteria attach to the cilia (tiny, hair-like extensions) that line part of the upper respiratory system. The bacteria release toxins, which damage the cilia and cause inflammation. Pertussis is generally treated with antibiotics, which are used to control the symptoms and to prevent infected people from spreading the disease.
Pertussis spreads easily from person to person through coughing and sneezing, according to the CDC website. A person with pertussis can infect up to 12 to 15 other people. The illness can be serious and life threatening to infants and young children, according to the CDC.
Gaithersburg High Reports Latest Case of Whooping Cough
There has been another case of whooping cough in Montgomery County, this time at Gaithersburg High School. Mary Anderson, spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services, confirmed to MyMCMedia Friday that a student at that school has been confirmed to have pertussis, a highly-contagious respiratory illness. That makes the 16th case of the […]
Health Department Still Tracking Whooping Cough Outbreak (Video)
Officials with the Montgomery County’s Department of Health and Human Services are still tracking the outbreak of whooping cough in Montgomery County, but as of Sept. 4 no additional confirmed cases have been reported. The department’s Cindy Edwards, senior nurse administrator for communicable disease and epidemiology, talks about pertussis and the status of the outbreak […]
Whooping Cough Outbreak Reported At Four Schools in Montgomery County
UPDATED, Sept. 2, 11 a.m.- Parents at four schools in Montgomery County have been notified that their children may have been exposed to a contagious respiratory illness known as Whooping Cough. According to Montgomery County Public Schools spokesman Dana Tofig, those schools include: Julius West Middle School in Rockville, Cabin John Middle School in Potomac, […]
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