Infants at Heart of New York Whooping Cough Outbreak

If Jefferson County were a state, the number of confirmed cases of pertussis in the county would rank it tenth nationally. In a telephone interview this morning, Faith Lustik, a health planner with the Jefferson County, N.Y., Public Health Service, reported a current total of 527 cases confirmed by blood test. The outbreak began with reported cases on Nov. 8, and has grown since.

According to Lustik, the highest number of cases is in the under-12 month age group. Scheduled immunization in that age group for pertussis occur at two, four and six months. The county held an immunization clinic last week for adult caregivers as part of its efforts to contain the outbreak.

Lustik pointed out that 2010 was the first year that New York State required a pertussis booster for all children entering sixth grade. This has prevented any large number of cases in middle schools.

Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) has called upon the Centers for Disease Control to expand its assistance to Jefferson County due to this outbreak. The CDC has one resident employee in Albany who has been assisting.

The primary manpower need in the county at this time is for case followup. Lustik told me that the combination of a positive blood test and a history of a cough for at least 14 days is being considered a confirmed case of pertussis. Not all confirmed blood tests will end up as confirmed cases.

During Thanksgiving week, volunteer personnel from the St. Lawrence County public health agency assisted in Jefferson County. The Public Health Service has added some temporary people, and personnel from other county agencies are also working on the outbreak and followup. Lustik termed the followup issue "pretty much under control".

Jefferson County does have an Amish community, where religious convictions may prevent immunizations. That community is primarily in the northern portion of the county, and Lustik reports that it is not a part of the current whooping cough outbreak.

She believes that there have been six pertussis-related hospitalizations. There have been no deaths.

The Watertown Daily Times reported Dec. 11 that neighboring counties also have cases of pertussis. Lewis County has 11 cases, and St. Lawrence has six.

In western New York, the Democrat & Chronicle advises Rochester/Monroe County has had 40 cases of whooping cough in 2010, Orleans County has reported eight and Wayne County has three reported cases.