Whooping Cough Continues to Spread in Michigan Children

Pediatricians and parents across the state of Michigan are on alert as cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, continue to grow.

Whooping cough is an extremely contagious respiratory infection in children. It is often characterized by a violent, persistent cough followed by a distinctive high-pitched intake of breath that sounds like "whoop.”

The number of pertussis cases reported in Michigan is rising.

According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Michigan saw nearly 2,000 cases of whooping cough in the past year, compared to the 110 cases that were reported in 2023. As of January 11, we’ve already seen 81 cases in Michigan.

Many attribute the rise in cases to the lingering effects of the pandemic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many contagious illnesses, including pertussis, decreased dramatically as across the world we tried to be very conscious of preventing the spread of illness. However, that does not completely account for the rapid rise in cases we saw over the past year as the total cases in Michigan was more than all of the state reported cases from 2016 to 2018 combined.

Symptoms of Whooping Cough

Classic whooping cough has three stages – cold, coughing, and recovery. Early pertussis symptoms can mimic a cold and may last one to two weeks, including:

• Slight fever
• Mild or occasional cough
• Runny nose
• Apnea in babies

After the first or second week, symptoms may include:

• Prolonged, violent coughing episodes lasting up to 10 weeks or more
• Whooping sound when inhaling after coughing
• Vomiting
• Exhaustion from coughing

Symptoms typically lessen after four weeks, but coughing can persist for months.

Treatment and Prevention of Whooping Cough

Treatment for whooping cough should start as soon as possible after diagnosis. If within 3 weeks of symptoms starting, your provider may prescribe antibiotics to help prevent the spread of the illness.

If your infant develops the condition, they may need treatment in the hospital. Babies less than four months old are typically automatically admitted to the hospital due to the risk of severe disease. Whooping cough can cause life-threatening complications, such as pneumonia or breathing problems.

The best treatment for whooping cough is prevention.

The best way to prevent whooping cough is to make sure you are up to date on your immunizations. Ensuring you are vaccinated not only protects you, but also protects those around you who are too young to be fully vaccinated - such as infants, children who cannot receive vaccines because of severe reactions to those vaccines, and children whose immune systems cannot respond to the vaccine due to chemotherapy, immune system disorders, or immune suppressing medications.

Children should receive five injections of the DTap vaccine, according to the following recommended vaccination schedule:

• First dose: 2 months old
• Second dose: 4 months old
• Third dose: 6 months old
• Fourth dose: Between 15 and 18 months old
• Fifth dose: Between 4 and 6 years old

When to See a Doctor

Call your doctor if prolonged coughing spells cause your child to:

• Vomit
• Turn red or blue
• Seem to be struggling to breathe or have noticeable pauses in breathing
• Inhale with a whooping sound

If your child is breathing fast, struggling to breathe, has blue or dusky skin, is holding their breath, or unresponsive, seek emergency help immediately or call 911.

Dr. Bela is a board-certified pediatrician Gabriela DeOliveira, M.D., is welcoming new patients from newborns to teens to her practice in Sault Ste. Marie. She sees patients at MyMichigan Primary Care in the Community Medical Building at 550 Osborn Boulevard, Suite 1006, a department of MyMichigan Medical Center Sault.