A child who attended Grandparents University at Michigan State University (MSU) was diagnosed by their physician with pertussis (also known as whooping cough). Public health officials believe the child was infectious while attending the event between June 29 – July 1, 2010. Approximately 900 people from throughout the Midwest and Canada attended Grandparents University and some of them may have been exposed to pertussis as a result.
Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by a bacterium with symptoms including a painful, hacking cough. It can last for up to six weeks and is sometimes fatal to infants.
People whose immunizations are not up to date are at risk of pertussis and can transmit the disease to other unprotected people, especially family members. Infants under one year of age are at particular risk because they are too young to be immunized.
MSU has provided the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) with a list of those who attended Grandparents University. MDCH has informed local health departments of the identities of residents in their communities who attended the event and whether these individuals could have been exposed to the infectious case. Local health departments are reaching out to these people to inform them of the exposure and to tell them whether their immunizations are up to date. People who could be at risk of coming down with pertussis, or who could expose unprotected family members will be advised to begin a course of erythromycin or other appropriate antibiotic.
One hundred and thirty residents of Ingham County attended Grandparents University. Of these, 20 may have been exposed to the infectious case. The Ingham County Health Department is contacting these people and checking their immunization status.
The Health Officer of the Ingham County Health Department, Dr. Dean Sienko, encourages parents to get their children immunized as soon as it is safe to do so. “We may well find that some of these children were not fully immunized. Their parents will face a difficult choice: to give the child antibiotics or take a chance on the disease,” says Sienko. “Many adults do not know that they can get pertussis or pass it on to family members, and they may not know that there is an adult pertussis vaccine. I especially encourage parents with infant children to get the adult pertussis vaccine. Women who are pregnant should get the vaccine before their baby is born.”
Health care providers use the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR) to record the immunization status of their patients. MCIR makes if quick and easy for public health officials to identify who is at risk in an event such as this.
Residents of Ingham County can get immunizations, including pertussis, at the Ingham County Health Department. Call 887-4316 or visit us on line at hd.ingham.org. Children who qualify can get free immunizations under the Vaccines for Children program.
We remind the community that pertussis is a reportable disease under Michigan law and all cases must be reported. To report a case Ingham County, contact the Department at 887-4308. Providers who participate in the Michigan Disease Surveillance System can use MDSS to report.
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