HAMILTON – Several pertussis cases have been confirmed in the Bitterroot.
Seven pertussis cases have been confirmed and Ravalli County Public Health has been in contact with the affected families in hopes of identifying and treating anyone who could get sick from being in close contact. However, the total number of people who have the potential for becoming ill is not known at this time.
The ages of confirmed cases range from infant to teen.
Pertussis, also known as “whooping cough,” is spread by respiratory droplets and typically begins with cold-like symptoms, including a runny nose, mild occasional cough, sneezing and low-grade fever. Later symptoms include a persistent cough with fits of coughing severe enough that exhaustion, vomiting, or a whooping sound may occur as the individual is trying to catch their breath.
Ravalli County Public Health notes in a news release that infants less than a year old — as well as people with compromised immune systems — are at increased risk for severe outcomes including hospitalization and death. If caught early and treated in its early stages with antibiotics, pertussis symptoms can be reduced others who have been exposed can be protected from developing the illness.
Anyone experiencing pertussis symptoms — or anyone notified of exposure to someone with pertussis — should contact their healthcare provider or go to a walk-in clinic. Additional information from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about pertussis can be found here.
