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Seven cases of whooping cough were recently confirmed in individuals from various communities throughout the county and across a large age range, said Rockland County Executive Ed Day and County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert.
Reported whooping cough cases in Rockland County have been on the decline since at least 2015, with the current confirmed totals less than the total number in each of the prior three years (2015-2017).
Whooping cough is a highly contagious infection of the upper respiratory tract caused by a virus that is spread by direct contact with mucus from the nose and throat of an infected person.
At first, the illness looks like the common head cold with low fever, runny nose, sneezing, but with a cough that increases in severity. Within one to two weeks, the cough worsens and is described as "coughing fits." The coughing can be so intense that individuals may gag and vomit at the end of these coughing fits.
The most effective way to prevent whooping cough is to receive pertussis-containing vaccinations such as DTaP – diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis for small children, or Tdap – tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis for adolescents and adults. This is different from MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine.
"Now is the time to make sure you and your family members are up to date on your vaccinations to help protect residents of Rockland County. We are monitoring the situation and will continue to keep residents informed about vaccine-preventable diseases in our community," said Dr. Ruppert.
The Health Department is asking all health care providers to immediately report all cases of suspected and confirmed pertussis to the Rockland County Department of Health Communicable Disease Program staff by calling 845-364-2997 during normal business hours, or 845-364-8600 after hours/weekends. Health Care Providers can call this number for additional information.
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