Health officials say they’ve identified at least 19 cases of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, in Lane County. The true case count is likely much higher.
In a presentation to the Board of Commissioners Tuesday, Lane County Health and Human Services Director Eve Gray said several of the cases identified so far don’t appear to be linked.
She said that’s a sign some people may be unknowingly spreading the infection.
“If you are noticing that you or a family member is having coughing fits,” she said, “especially if those coughing fits are leading the individuals to run out of breath and have to gasp - those are really strong indicators that you should go in and ask for testing.”
Whooping cough is spread through droplets, is highly contagious and can last months.
Gray said everyone should consider getting vaccinated, especially those who spend time around infants. Pertussis can be deadly for infants and newborns.
“Following the pandemic our (pediatric) vaccination rates have dropped,” she said. “This is also a good opportunity to remind our community that these diseases are not gone and they have very severe outcomes at times. This is the best defense that we have.”
There are two vaccines that prevent pertussis - DTaP for children under the age of 7 and TdaP for older children and adults.
Pertussis has been identified in other parts of the state, including Deschutes County, which has detected seven cases in the past two weeks.
Lane County’s last serious outbreak of pertussis was in 2018. Lane County health officials identified 250 presumed, or confirmed cases.
Infections were also confirmed across dozens of schools and many students were required to stay home.
