Fresno County health leaders monitoring whooping cough cases

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- It's been a engaged respiratory unwellness play for doctors successful Central California. But that's not the lone sickness that doctors are dealing with.

Whooping cough is besides astatine the apical of caput for wellness leaders.

"Fresno County is seeing preliminary 66 cases of whooping cough, besides known arsenic pertussis," said Leticia Berber, a Health Educator with the Fresno County Public Health Department. "Last twelvemonth we had 23 by the extremity of the year."

The aboriginal numbers are a interest for Fresno County wellness leaders. Berber explains they're seeing cases successful babies and children up to four-years-old.

"Whooping cough is highly contagious, particularly erstwhile the cough starts," said Berber.

Pertussis causes aggravated coughing attacks which creates that high-pitched "whooping" sound. The fits tin beryllium truthful beardown it tin adjacent pb to vomiting oregon adjacent assemblage aches.

"A communal cough usually lasts 1 to 2 weeks and it gradually declines," said Berber. "However, erstwhile a whooping cough starts, it gets worse with clip to a constituent wherever an idiosyncratic cannot respire normally."

CDC information shows successful 2024 determination were much than 35,000 pertussis cases nationwide. Last twelvemonth saw conscionable implicit 28,000.

Federal wellness leaders accidental portion whooping cough person trended down since a highest successful November 2024 cases remained elevated for 2025. That's wherefore wellness leaders accent vaccination for babies and booster shots for older children and adults.

"The booster vaccine starts astatine 11 to 12 years of age," said Berber. "That's erstwhile a kid starts seventh people and the t-DAP vaccine is recommended for seventh graders. If they don't support up with those boosters, whooping tin travel backmost if we spot those boosters weren't fixed to adults."

It's recommended that adults get a booster changeable each 10 years. Berber besides urges women who are large besides get a dose of the tDAP vaccine, to assistance boost immunity to pertussis.

Health experts accent preventative enactment tin halt the dispersed from getting worse.

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