Peninsula Daily News
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Twelve cases of whooping cough have been reported on the North Olympic Peninsula this year.
Jefferson County has eight confirmed cases of whooping cough, according to Jefferson County Public Health — and that number could rise.
“We expect that total to climb quite a bit because we have a number of tests pending,” said Dr. Tom Locke, health officer for Clallam and Jefferson counties.
The highly contagious disease is likely to be widespread, the Jefferson County health agency said.
Four whooping cough cases have been reported in Clallam County this year, and all have been treated, he said Saturday.
The disease is on the rise, Locke said, because of lower immunization rates.
The disease causes uncontrollable, violent coughing.
Anyone with a persistent cough or been exposed to whooping cough patients should be tested.
The disease can be deadly to infants; two died last year from it in Washington state.
State health officials have said that whooping cough is a growing problem in Washington state, with the number of cases having increased by more than 50 percent between 2010 and 2011.
The state reported 912 cases of whooping cough in 2011, the highest number in six years. In 2010, there were 608 cases reported.
Health officials said the actual number could be higher because many people who are ill with the highly contagious respiratory illness also known as pertussis may not know they have it and won’t seek medical attention.
Health officials now recommend women get vaccinated for pertussis later in pregnancy, which would pass protection on to their babies.
