FORKS — Seven pertussis cases were reported on the West End of Clallam County in July and August.
All have recovered, said Dr. Tom Locke, public health officer for Clallam and Jefferson counties. All were adults, he said.
Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious bacterial disease that causes violent coughing and can lead to severe complications in infants and children.
Five of the cases were confirmed in July, with the other two reported this month.
No other cases have appeared on the North Olympic Peninsula so far this year.
“It’s just on the West End,” Locke said.
“It’s what we call a cluster, in that they’re all linked to each other,” he said.
“That’s not uncommon with pertussis, given that it’s highly contagious.”
Pertussis is commonly spread among families or people in close contact.
It is transmitted through coughing and sneezing.
Health officials recommend that adults get vaccinated with Tdap, the adult booster for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, to protect babies and young children who are at the highest risk of severe complications.
Although pertussis can cause relatively mild symptoms in adults, it can be life-threatening to infants.
“If people are not vaccinated, it can just smoulder in the population,” Locke said.
Pertussis was declared an official epidemic in Washington in April 2012.
State health officials said it is far less prevalent in 2013.
As of last Saturday, there had been 491 confirmed cases statewide. That compares with 3,868 cases for the same time period last year.
“We still continue to see sporadic pertussis cases,” Locke said.
Last year’s pertussis epidemic included 26 cases in Clallam County and 25 cases Jefferson County, nearly all of which were reported in the first half of 2012.
Like many respiratory infections, pertussis tends to ramp up in the fall and winter when people are spending more time indoors and children return to school, Locke said.
Health officials are preparing to launch a promotional campaign for the pertussis vaccine that will be targeted out of doctor’s offices.
The state Department of Health said children aged 7 to 10 who aren’t fully vaccinated — and everyone 11 and older — should get the Tdap vaccine.
Vaccinations are available through primary care providers, area pharmacies and local health departments.
For a list of frequently asked questions about whooping cough, visit the health department’s website at www.tinyurl.com/lwo7by8.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
