360 Whooping Cough Cases in SD County in 2013

That compares to 165 cases in 2012, according to county health officials

The number of pertussis cases in San Diego County in 2013 more than doubled from 2012, according to county health officials.

The county reported 26 new whooping cough cases the last week of December, bringing the yearly total to 360.

Officials said seven of the 26 people diagnosed were in public places where they could have potentially spread the highly contagious disease.

These places include: Pepper Drive School in Santee, the San Diego Center for Children, North County Community Services in Vista, North Coast Church in Vista, Joan MacQueen Middle School in Alpine, Queen of Angels Church in Alpine and the Alpine Dance Academy.

With the exception of the case at the San Diego Center for Children, all of the other patients were up-to-date with vaccinations, according to county health officials.

In order to combat whooping cough, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend children get doses of the DtaP vaccine at the ages of 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 to 18 months and 4 to 6 years. The CDC also recommends that preteens and adults get a Tdap booster shot.

Pertussis symptoms include a cough and runny nose that last one or two weeks, followed by weeks or months of rapid coughing fits that sometimes make a whooping sound. The disease is treatable with antibiotics.

Although the 360 pertussis cases last year is much higher than the 165 cases in 2012, it is still significantly less than 2010 when a record 1,179 cases were reported. 

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