CDC Findings on Local Pertussis Cases
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued its report regarding the atypical number of lab-confirmed pertussis (whooping cough) cases in La Plata County during this past year. It was unusual that many of these cases were in older children or vaccinated individuals who are less likely to get pertussis, and many of these people did not have typical whooping cough symptoms.
Therefore, the CDC team was invited in early August by San Juan Basin Health and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to find out whether the illnesses in the community were truly pertussis or if another germ was going around.
The four-member CDC team looked at past and newly reported cases. Their findings focused on the cases from May through August. Not enough information was available regarding the pertussis outbreak between December 2008 and March 2009.
According to the CDC findings “Information gained from interviews and reviewing lab tests suggest that pertussis was not the main cause of cough illness during the summer (May – August 2009). Other common causes of respiratory infections were identified in some people. It is also thought that false positive test results most likely occurred. A false positive result occurs when a test incorrectly detects pertussis infection in a person who actually does not have the disease.” The CDC concluded that a combination of factors led to false positive results for pertussis.
To make sure that this doesn’t occur again, the CDC is working to improve pertussis testing and has made recommendations that healthcare clinic staff wear gloves when taking swabs and regularly clean surfaces to prevent contamination of specimens. The investigation results and recommendations have been shared with all local healthcare providers to reinforce proper handling of test specimens.
“Local providers have already implemented these recommendations,” said Bari Wagner, Communicable Disease nurse at San Juan Basin Health. She and a state epidemiologist met today with staff at a local healthcare office to review the findings and recommendations. Throughout the investigation, the CDC team worked closely with the local public health department, healthcare providers, hospital and laboratory. “Our local healthcare community has been incredibly open and cooperative during this process,” said Wagner.
“Pertussis is very difficult to diagnose by doctors or laboratory tests,” said the CDC. Doctors are often recommended to treat immediately when they suspect pertussis, rather than waiting for the test results. “This is routine practice for many respiratory infections, not just pertussis,” said the CDC report. “In fact, the antibiotics given for pertussis were effective against the other bacteria that were identified during the investigation.”
Pertussis can be a very serious illness, especially in infants, and spreads easily. The best way to prevent pertussis is for adults and children to get vaccinated. For more information about pertussis and when to get vaccinated, visit www.cdc.gov/Features/Pertussis/.
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