As of Nov. 9, there are three confirmed positive cases of pertussis (whooping cough) in Harney County.

Harney County Public Health is working with local school districts, physicians, and the community to identify and notify students and residents who have possibly been exposed. Efforts to treat those who are sick — and protect exposed pregnant women and infants less than one year of age — may include an antibiotic prescription from their health-care provider.

If you or your child has been around someone with pertussis, you may become sick with pertussis as well. This is especially true when you or your child has not received all the recommended pertussis vaccine shots. Sometimes, even if your shots are up-to-date, you may still be able to get pertussis. The effectiveness of the vaccine declines over time.

Pertussis is a highly contagious disease that is spread through the air by cough or sneeze. Pertussis begins with cold symptoms and cough, which becomes much worse over 1-2 weeks. Symptoms usually include a long series of coughs (coughing fits). There is generally only a slight fever, if any at all. People with pertussis may have a series of coughs followed by vomiting, turning blue, or difficulty catching breath. The cough is often worse at night, and cough medicines usually do not help alleviate the cough.

It is particularly important to protect infants and pregnant women from exposure to pertussis. Infants are at the greatest risk for getting pertussis and then having serious complications from it, including death. About half of infants younger than 1 year old who get pertussis need care in the hospital, and one out of 100 infants who get treatment in the hospital die.

There are two strategies to protect infants until they’re old enough to receive vaccines and build their own immunity against this disease.

First, vaccinate pregnant women with Tdap between 27 and 36 weeks of each pregnancy, preferably during the earlier part of this time period. By getting Tdap during pregnancy, mothers build antibodies that are transferred to the newborn, providing protection against pertussis in early life, before the infant can start getting DTaP vaccines at 2 months old. Tdap also helps protect mothers, making them less likely to transmit pertussis to their babies.

Second, make sure everyone around the infant is up-to-date with their pertussis vaccines. This includes parents, siblings, grandparents (including those 65 years and older), other family members, babysitters, etc. They should be up-to-date with the age-appropriate vaccine (DTaP or Tdap) at least two weeks before coming into close contact with the infant. Unless pregnant, adults who previously did not receive a dose of tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap) as an adult or child (routinely recommended at age 11–12 years) one dose of Tdap is recommended. If family members of an infant or pregnant woman develop pertussis, the health-care provider may recommend preventative antibiotics for the household members.

These two strategies should reduce infection in infants.

If you or your child comes down with any of the above symptoms, including coughing fits, talk to your health-care provider without delay.

If your health-care provider needs more information, they can call the Harney County Health Department at 541-573-2271.

Some simple basics to keep pertussis from spreading:

• Wash your hands with soap and water.

• Cover your coughs and sneezes.

• Don’t share cups or silverware.

• Stay away from others until evaluated by a physician.

If you are behind in your immunizations, call your health-care provider or the Harney County Health Department.

Further information is available at: https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/