Whooping cough is surging in Southeast Alaska

The Alaska Department of Health building successful downtown Juneau successful June, 2023. (Clarise Larson/ for nan Juneau Empire)

Southeast Alaska wellness officials opportunity cases of pertussis, commonly called whooping cough, are up successful Juneau. 

Last week, nan City and Borough of Juneau and nan Juneau School District sent retired property releases to residents and students astir nan reported uptick successful cases.

Southeast Regional Nurse Manager for nan Division of Public Health Sarah Hargrave said nan region has had 14 reported cases of nan highly contagious respiratory unwellness since July. And cases proceed to grow. 

“We are conscionable seeing an summation successful pertussis, which is known arsenic whooping cough, crossed nan state,” Hargrave said. “That’s been going connected since nan summer, mostly up successful different parts of nan state, but astir mid-summer, we started to spot a fewer trickle into Southeast and they’re conscionable continuing to person cases popular up.”

RELATED: Cases of whooping cough are spiking successful Alaska this year

Cases person besides been connected nan rise across nan state and country, according to nan authorities and nan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since January, location person been complete 165 cases reported successful Alaska, compared to little than 30 successful 2023. 

Symptoms of nan illness commencement retired likewise to a communal acold but are paired pinch a long-lasting cough. It tin dispersed easy from personification to personification done nan air. 

Bartlett Regional Hospital Infection Preventionist Charlee Gribbon said that’s why it’s important to make judge you’re vaccinated and taking precautions erstwhile you’re experiencing symptoms.

“Vaccinations are conscionable a cardinal portion of keeping yourself wide healthy, for illustration getting bully sleep, bully nutrition, bully hydration,” Gribbon said. “It helps support your immune strategy ready, truthful it’s each portion of that.”

The bacterial infection is astir vulnerable for young children and babies nether nan property of one. It tin besides beryllium much vulnerable for group pinch pre-existing wellness conditions specified arsenic asthma. If caught early, it tin beryllium treated pinch antibiotics.