1,500 suffer from whooping cough in US
By IANSWednesday, August 4, 2010
LOS ANGELES - Health officials in the US have issued a health warning as a whooping cough epidemic has swept across various parts of the country, affecting over 1,500 people.
California state has seen over 1,500 reports of pertussis, or whooping cough in the first six months of the year, in comparison to just 300 cases in the same period in 2009, Xinhua reported citing California’s department of public health.
Other states like Michigan, South Carolina, Ohio and New York have also reported an increase in the incidence of whooping cough.
Seven babies have died of whooping cough this year in what is being called the biggest outbreak in 50 years, the department said.
The department is urging people, particularly pregnant women and those who come into contact with infants, to make sure they are immunised for the contagious disease.
“The magnitude of the increase in California is concerning, and that’s why we are trying to emphasise the importance of vaccination,” said Jennifer Liang, an epidemiologist with the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
