NJ alert: Cases of highly contagious infection are on the rise

⚫ Mitigation practices kept the infection at bay for a while

⚫ Infants are at greatest risk

⚫ Not all cases present with coughing fits

Cases of pertussis, aka whooping cough, are on the rise in the Garden State.

And as New Jersey approaches a new school year, physicians are being advised to be on the lookout for the highly transmissible infection.

The number of pertussis cases across the U.S. has been lower than usual over the past few years, likely due to mitigation practices in place because of COVID-19. But those safeguards are essentially gone, giving respiratory infections like pertussis more opportunity to spread.

"The numbers now are coming back to the pre-pandemic levels," said Dr. Martin Topiel, chief of infectious diseases at Virtua Health.

Compared to the same time in 2023, more than three times as many pertussis cases are being reported across the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The New Jersey Department of Health says the Garden State is experiencing a similar increase.

Signs of whooping cough

Early symptoms can look very similar to a common cold — a runny nose and a low-grade fever, for example. But individuals with pertussis can eventually develop coughing fits, also known as paroxysms. That's when the "whoop" sound can be heard, as a person gasps for air between coughs.

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Babies and young children with pertussis actually might not cough, but instead may have difficulty breathing.

"Infants under age one are at greatest risk, because their immune systems are still developing," Topiel said. "This age group has the highest reported rate of pertussis."

Whooping cough vaccination

Vaccination is key in the fight against the infection, medical experts say. It's not 100% protection against the infection, but can reduce its severity.

Ten-year-old Emmani, the daughter of Lumberton resident Juliette Osborne, was diagnosed with pertussis in July, despite having been vaccinated. Osborne said vaccination minimized the infection's impact on her vulnerable child.

"It may not be the same story for other people who don't even have the vaccinations at all," Osborne said. "Parents need to monitor symptoms closely and seek medical advice if anything seems unusual, even in vaccinated children."

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Kids as young as six weeks old can begin receiving the pertussis vaccine, which is combined with protection against diphtheria and tetanus. It's a small series of shots given across multiple visits to the pediatrician.

Adults, meanwhile, are advised to receive a booster shot every 10 years, as protection can wane over time.

In an alert issued on Aug. 22, NJDOH reminded providers to keep pertussis in mind when patients present with a prolonged cough, whether or not they've been vaccinated.

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