Simplified: Sioux Falls is seeing an increase in cases of pertussis – also known as whooping cough. Here's what you need to know.
Why it matters
- Nationally, pertussis cases have been gradually on the rise since the mid-1980s, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). After a drop in 2020, pertussis cases are returning to a pre-coronavirus pandemic rate this year of about 10,000 cases per year.
- In South Dakota, there have been 68 confirmed cases of pertussis so far this year, per CDC data. That's double the amount the state saw over the same period in 2023.
- Pertussis cases tend to rise every five years, said Dr. Margo Free, a pediatrics infections disease physician at Sanford Health. Part of that rise is because of "suboptimal vaccination rates."
- Avera Pediatrician Dr. Shari Eich said the best way to prevent further spread of pertussis is to ensure everyone in your family is up-to-date on vaccines. Kids should receive five DTaP vaccines – which prevent pertussis, tetanus and diphtheria before starting kindergarten and a Tdap booster before starting sixth grade. Adults should receive a booster vaccine every 10 years.
"This is especially important for people who are around infants, because the disease tends to be worse for them," Eich said.
What are the symptoms?
Initial symptoms often look similar to a cold with a cough and runny nose, but where it differs is when the cough gets worse and worse.
"Whooping cough is named not by the sound of the cough, but by the sound of the sharp inhalation between coughing fits," Free said.
In some cases, Eich added, patients can cough so hard they vomit.
What should I do?
If you suspect you or your child might have pertussis, go to the doctor. Treatments are available to prevent the spread of pertussis.
And both Eich and Free noted the best defense against pertussis is the vaccine.
