Six Spokane County residents hospitalized with whooping cough during outbreak

Spokane County is in the midst of an outbreak of whooping cough, with nearly twice the infections locally so far than the entire state saw last year.

The most severe cases of the disease target infants, toddlers and school-aged children.

Among the 123 local cases, six Spokane County residents have been hospitalized after contracting the disease, according to the Spokane Regional Health District. There had been no cases of the disease at this time last year, the health district said.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 68 cases for all of Washington state in 2023. The last time Washington had a surge of whooping cough was in 2015 when there were more than 1,200 cases.

The surge in Eastern Washington began this summer when single-digit cases per month jumped to 17 cases in July. That high number stayed steady in the following months.

In adolescents and adults, whooping cough presents as a mild coughing illness that persists between four and eight weeks.

But the disease can be much more serious in younger children, especially toddlers and infants. In some cases, these children can have severe coughing spells that can lead to vomiting. In the most severe cases of babies younger than 1, pertussis can lead to hospitalization or death, according to the CDC.

Whooping cough can be treated by a course of antibiotics. This can be critical for young children, but it is also recommended adults receive treatment to resolve symptoms sooner and reduce how long they are infectious.

The best way to protect yourself and others from whooping cough is to get vaccinated and make sure kids get the vaccine. Adults should get boosters every 10 years to maintain immunity. Those who are pregnant should receive the vaccine between 27 and 36 weeks of every pregnancy.

“Vaccination is the best way to prevent whooping cough and to protect those who are most vulnerable around us,” said Dr. Francisco Velázquez, Spokane Regional Health District Health Officer said in a statement. “At the end of the day, if we use all the tools available to us, including vaccination and good respiratory hygiene, then we can prevent the spread of communicable diseases.”

Velázquez recommended washing hands well and often, staying home and away from others when sick, covering coughs and sneezes, cleaning frequently touched surfaces, and to seek health care right away if you’re at risk of severe illness.