Bordetella pertussis, the bacteria that causes the disease pertussis, is show in this 2019 medical illustration based on microscopic images. This image, in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publication on antibiotic resistance threats, shows a strain that has developed a resistance to drugs used to treat the disease. Pertussis cases are rising in Alaska and nationwide following a lull during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Image by Dan Higgins/Provided by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Bordetella pertussis, the bacteria that causes the disease pertussis, is show in this 2019 medical illustration based on microscopic images. This image, in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publication on antibiotic resistance threats, shows a strain that has developed a resistance to drugs used to treat the disease. Pertussis cases are rising in Alaska and nationwide following a lull during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Image by Dan Higgins/Provided by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Rising cases of ‘whooping cough’ in Alaska prompt warnings and prevention recommendations

A spike in pertussis, a contagious disease commonly known as whooping cough, has swept through Alaska, the state Department of Health reported.

Through the end of July, 131 pertussis cases had been reported in Alaska this year, according to an alert issued by the department’s Division of Public Health epidemiology section.

That compares to 26 cases reported last year, only two cases in 2022 and just one in 2021, according to the epidemiology section’s public health alert.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Of this year’s pertussis cases, 91 were reported in June and July, the epidemiology section said. Most were in the Southcentral region, the most populated part of Alaska.

Babies are most vulnerable to pertussis, the epidemiology section said in its alert. About a third of infected infants need to be hospitalized, and many can develop pneumonia, seizures and other complications, the bulletin said. Some can die from the disease, with most of the deaths reported among babies younger than 3 months old, the alert said. Across the U.S. from 2010 to 2020, up to 20 infants died annually from pertussis, the alert said.

In Southeast Alaska, where seven cases have been reported since June, health officials issued recommendations for treatment and prevention of the highly contagious disease.

People with symptoms like persistent coughing should seek medical care immediately, and those who are possibly sick or who have been exposed to pertussis patients should wash their hands frequently, wear masks and otherwise practice good hygiene, the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium said in a statement.

A key prevention tool is vaccination, and both adults and children should be up to date on those vaccinations, the consortium statement said.

“We want to ensure that the public is fully informed about the risks associated with pertussis and the steps they can take to protect themselves and their loved ones,” Dr. Cate Burley, the consortium’s chief medical officer, said in the statement. “Early diagnosis and vaccination are key to preventing the spread of this illness.”

Pertussis vaccines are typically bundled with vaccines for tetanus and diphtheria, into packages called DTaP or Tdap. The combined vaccine is recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at regular intervals for both children and adults. For children, the CDC-recommended schedule is four doses by 15 months, followed by a dose at about age 11 or 12. For adults, the CDC-recommended schedule is a dose every 10 years, as well as during pregnancies or in certain other special circumstances.

The epidemiology section’s public health alert also stressed the importance of vaccination.

“The best way to prevent pertussis is to get vaccinated. Pertussis remains one of the leading causes of vaccine-preventable deaths worldwide, despite overall high vaccination coverage. Most pertussis deaths occur in young babies who are either unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated,” it said.

Alaska’s increase in pertussis comes as cases are rising nationally, reversing a sharp decline in pertussis cases experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC reported.

Health precautions used to prevent the spread of COVID-19 likely prevented the spread of pertussis, the CDC said. Reported cases now are at a more “typical” level and close to the level reported in 2019, the CDC said.

The years with almost no Alaska pertussis cases — 2021 and 2022 — overlapped with the COVID-19 pandemic and the precautions imposed to prevent the spread of that disease.

Aside from those pandemic years, pertussis in Alaska has come in waves, generally in cycles of three to five years, state health officials said.

There have been years with high numbers. In 2012, there were 356 cases reported and in 2013, the total was 308, according to the epidemiology section’s 2013 annual infectious disease report. There are also years with much lower numbers, aside from the recent pandemic years. In 2011, for example, only 24 cases were reported, according to state health officials.

The wave pattern exists for multiple reasons, Dr. Joe McLaughlin, chief of the state’s epidemiology section, said by email.

Immunity to the disease, whether acquired through vaccination or infection, wanes over time, he said. There can be incomplete vaccine coverage in the population, he said. Additionally, the bacterium that causes the disease, Bordetella pertussis, can evolve into strains that partially evade people’s immunity, he said. And changes in population makeup – with new babies born and older children or adults losing their immunity over time, can trigger periodic epidemics, he said.

A different wave pattern, spread out over the past 12 months, is shown in Alaska for other contagious respiratory diseases. For COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, combined case numbers were higher in late fall and midwinter but lower in late spring and early summer, according to the Alaska Division of Public Health.

• Yereth Rosen came to Alaska in 1987 to work for the Anchorage Times. She has reported for Reuters, for the Alaska Dispatch News, for Arctic Today and for other organizations. She covers environmental issues, energy, climate change, natural resources, economic and business news, health, science and Arctic concerns. This article originally appeared online at alaskabeacon.com. Alaska Beacon, an affiliate of States Newsroom, is an independent, nonpartisan news organization focused on connecting Alaskans to their state government.

More in News

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Aurora forecast through the week of Feb. 15

These forecasts are courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute… Continue reading

The Hubbard and LeConte state ferries. (Alaska Marine Highway System photo)
Ailing state ferry system with 24% employee vacancy rate facing government cuts and freezes

Trump may yank funds for vessel upgrades; lawsuit says governor is trying to cut state worker pay.

U.S. Rep. Nick Begich III, R-Alaska, talks with supporters during a campaign meet-and-greet Oct. 12, 2024, at the Southeast Alaska Real Estate office near the Nugget Mall. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
‘This is no town hall. This is propaganda’; Begich takes heat at first virtual constituent forum

Congressman set to deliver his first joint address to the Alaska Legislature on Thursday.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Local organizers and speakers at a “No Kings on Presidents Day” protest lead a drum chant and dance Monday in front of the Alaska State Capitol. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
‘No Kings on Presidents Day’ protest of Trump draws more than 400 to Alaska State Capitol

Firing of federal workers, elimination of DEI and LGBTQ+ policies among objections of participants.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Friday, Feb. 14, 2025

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Juneau School District Superintendent Frank Hauser testifies in support of a Base Student Allocation increase on Jan. 29, 2025, at the Alaska State Capitol. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Superintendent suggests Juneau school board assume a $400 BSA increase in district’s budget

Some board members hesitant to depart from no-increase policy, express concern about Trump’s actions.

Most Read

 

You're browsing in private mode.
Please sign in or subscribe to continue reading articles in this mode.

Juneau Empire relies on subscription revenue to provide local content for our readers.

Subscribe

Already a subscriber? Please sign in