North Carolina is experiencing an uptick in pertussis cases

(The News & Observer, Anna Roman) — Wake County has confirmed a case of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, at Oberlin Magnet Middle School. It’s one of 20 confirmed cases of the highly contagious disease in the county this year.

It’s one of 20 confirmed cases of the highly contagious disease in the county this year.

Parents, whose children may have been exposed between Feb. 13 and 18, were sent a letter Thursday, according to the Wake County Health Department.

There were 49 confirmed cases of pertussis in 2024 in Wake County, and five confirmed cases in 2023, according to the most recent state data on communicable diseases.

“We may be on track for a bad year,” said Dr. Joel Lutterman, Wake County’s medical director.

‘A really terrible noise’

The disease’s name comes from the sound of a desperate gasp for air after a series of coughs. It’s a sound that pediatricians and parents don’t forget.

“They start having these clusters of coughing and they can’t stop,” Lutterman said in an interview. “They often vomit after coughing so much, and that has its own issues associated with it. Sometimes, especially in younger kids, they literally stop breathing. … It’s a really terrible noise.”

The respiratory illness often begins like the common cold, but intense coughing can last for weeks or months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Whooping cough is most serious to babies and children, especially those who haven’t had the recommended pertussis vaccinations.

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