Bordetella pertussis booster shot for adults urged as cases rise

Most people think whooping cough is a disease of the past that only children can acquire.

Unfortunately, the disease is still around and is on the rise in Louisiana and not just in the pediatric population.

Last year, more than 60 cases of the disease, also known as pertussis, were reported to the Louisiana Department of Public Health. This was a substantial increase from the previous year, said state epidemiologist Raoult Ratard.

In Region 9, which consists of St. Tammany, Washington, Tangipahoa, Livingston and St. Helena, 15 cases were reported, the second-highest in the state.

While the disease is still mainly affecting infants, especially under the age of 1, there was an increase in the number of cases among older children and adults than seen in previous years, Ratard said.

Actual numbers could be even higher, he said, due to lack of reporting or misdiagnosis.

Ratard estimates the disease claims between two and five lives every year in the state. "It is becoming a major problem," he said.

Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the respiratory tract caused by Bordetella pertussis. The disease is usually spread through direct contact with discharge from the nose or throat of an infected individual and is treated with antibiotics.

Infants under the age of 6 months are highly susceptible to catching the disease because they have not received the full series of vaccinations, which are normally given at 2, 4 and 6 months of age, Ratard said. A child should receive a total of five doses before age 6.

By the time one reaches early adulthood, the vaccine may have worn off or not be as effective and can explain the increase in pertussis infections among adolescents and adults, Ratard said.

According to Ratard, adolescents and adults are carrying the infection and being misdiagnosed with the common cold or upper respiratory infection. "They bring it back home and infect others in the household."...