A young boy coughing due to pertussis. (US Dept. of Health & Human Services)
Health officials say 2012 was the nation's worst year for whooping cough in nearly six decades.
About 42,000 cases were reported last year, the
most since 1955. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is
still gathering information, and the number could rise to as much as
50,000.
Whooping cough tends to run in multi-year cycles,
and experts say last year appears to have been a peak. Also, a newer
version of the whooping cough vaccine doesn't last as long as expected.
The good news: Deaths from the disease were down
last year, to 18. Experts think that doctors were faster at diagnosing
and treating the disease during outbreaks.
Whopping cough used to be a bigger problem until a vaccine was developed in the 1940s.
Pertussis symptoms:
Initial symptoms are similar to a mild cold and include a runny nose and mild cough, which progresses to severe coughing spasms
Vomiting may occur after coughing
Person with pertussis may appear and feel healthy between coughing episodes
Symptoms appear between 7 - 10 days after exposure
Online:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Fast Facts: www.cdc.gov/pertussis
Arizona Dept. of Health Services What is pertussis and how is it spread? http://1.usa.gov/Z41ACf
Monday, May 20 2013 6:03 AM EDT2013-05-20 10:03:42 GMT
Metro-North is urging commuters in Connecticut to make alternate plans starting on Monday. Train service on much of the New Haven line remains suspended after Friday's train derailment
Metro-North is urging commuters in Connecticut to make alternate plans starting on Monday. Train service on much of the New Haven line remains suspended after Friday's train derailment
Monday, May 20 2013 5:58 AM EDT2013-05-20 09:58:10 GMT
The Connecticut Department of Transportation and Metro-North Railroad released the following information regarding service on the New Haven commuter rail line
The Connecticut Department of Transportation and Metro-North Railroad released the following information regarding service on the New Haven commuter rail line
Sunday, May 19 2013 10:57 PM EDT2013-05-20 02:57:40 GMT
The federal judge presiding over civil rights challenges to the stop-and-frisk practices of the New York Police Department has no doubt where she stands with the government.
The federal judge presiding over civil rights challenges to the stop-and-frisk practices of the New York Police Department has no doubt where she stands with the government.
A young boy coughing due to pertussis. (US Dept. of Health & Human Services)
