Health officials in both Nassau and Suffolk counties are urging parents to be careful due to a recent increase in pertussis cases.
Experts say the disease poses the greatest risk to infants under two months of age, who cannot be vaccinated.
Complications for infants can include pneumonia, brain damage, and even death.
Dr. John Zaso of the Nassau County Health Department said, “The biggest risk in infancy is that they can develop what’s called apnea, where they stop breathing, which can obviously have tragic consequences.” There is a gender,” he said.
Zaso is also East Meadow’s pediatrician. He said two cases of whooping cough were diagnosed on Saturday alone. He said the number of cases of whooping cough, or whooping cough, in Nassau County spiked last week. An additional 108 cases have been reported in Suffolk County.
“When you start getting into the hundreds, that’s a big number,” Zaso said. “For us, this is huge because it should be close to zero. These are vaccine-preventable diseases.”
The majority of cases occur among school-age children and their parents. The most common symptoms include cough, stuffy nose, and fever.
According to Zaso, hesitancy towards vaccination is a major factor in the spread of infection. He wants to tell his parents that the whooping cough vaccine is safe. He also wants to help parents recognize the signs and symptoms.
Bacterial infections look like a cold at first, but after a week or two, a characteristic cough appears.
“The cough in older children is very peculiar, we call it whooping cough, but they cough, cough, cough, cough, and sometimes they turn blue, and when they take a deep breath, it becomes high-pitched. It’s a whooping sound,” Zaso explained.
Zsassos also advises healthy adults who have a persistent cough to get tested.
Whooping cough can also be treated with antibiotics, but only if contracted within the first three weeks.
Doctors advise parents to be cautious and get their children, especially infants, to see a doctor as soon as possible.