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First case of whooping cough in Beaufort County
Health officials believe it is linked to Hyde cases
By NIKIE MAYO, Staff Writer
Beaufort County has at least one resident with a confirmed case of whooping cough and 11 other people here are being monitored for signs of the communicable disease. Health officials believe the cases are linked to those in the Grassy Ridge community of Hyde County.
Beaufort County Health Department announced the confirmed case Thursday. The person is not in the hospital, but no other details about the case were released.
Along with the confirmed case, there are six “epi-linked” cases— people who have had direct contact with the diagnosed person. There are also five other probable cases. Of the potential cases, three people have been tested, but it will be about a week before the results are available, said Beaufort County Health Director Roxanne Holloman.
“All of the cases are being treated and investigated,” reads a release from the health department. “Possible contacts to the cases are being treated with antibiotics.”
The health department is working closely with the state Department of Health and Human Services and health departments in neighboring counties.
There are at least 24 “symptomatic” children in the Grassy Ridge community of western Hyde County who have shown signs of whooping cough, according to the Hyde County Health Department. One case — that of a 6-week-old girl — was confirmed in Hyde County last week.
“We worked very hard last week and I feel safe in saying the community has received the treatment ... they need,” said Luana Gibbs, a public-health nurse with Hyde County Health Department, in an interview Monday. Cases have been treated with antibiotics, she said.
Gibbs would not release exact figures regarding the number of diagnosed cases, probable cases and potential cases. She would say, however, that most of the cases affected children.
The Hope Mennonite School in Grassy Ridge was closed last week after 24 of 27 students were deemed “symptomatic,” meaning they showed signs of the communicable disease, Gibbs said.
Whooping cough, or pertussis, begins with symptoms like those of the common cold, such as a runny nose. As it progresses, it is characterized by repeated, lengthy coughing fits, particularly at night in children. The coughs end in a forced breath — creating a high-pitched “whoop” sound, according to a release from the Hyde County Health Department.
It comes from the bordetella pertussis bacteria that lives in the mouth, nose and throat and is spread by droplets from coughing and sneezing, according to the Beaufort County Health Department. Whooping cough is most severe in children less than 1 year old.
The health department asks people to contact their doctors if they have:
*Fits of coughing to the point that they have trouble catching their breath
*Coughing that ends in vomiting,
*Coughing that lasts more than two weeks,
*Close contact (within 3 feet for at least 30 minutes) with someone who has a diagnosed case
Effective hand washing is needed to reduce the spread of whooping cough, according to the health departments.
For more information, contact the Beaufort County Health Department at 946-1902.
By NIKIE MAYO, Staff Writer
Beaufort County has at least one resident with a confirmed case of whooping cough and 11 other people here are being monitored for signs of the communicable disease. Health officials believe the cases are linked to those in the Grassy Ridge community of Hyde County.
Beaufort County Health Department announced the confirmed case Thursday. The person is not in the hospital, but no other details about the case were released.
Along with the confirmed case, there are six “epi-linked” cases— people who have had direct contact with the diagnosed person. There are also five other probable cases. Of the potential cases, three people have been tested, but it will be about a week before the results are available, said Beaufort County Health Director Roxanne Holloman.
“All of the cases are being treated and investigated,” reads a release from the health department. “Possible contacts to the cases are being treated with antibiotics.”
The health department is working closely with the state Department of Health and Human Services and health departments in neighboring counties.
There are at least 24 “symptomatic” children in the Grassy Ridge community of western Hyde County who have shown signs of whooping cough, according to the Hyde County Health Department. One case — that of a 6-week-old girl — was confirmed in Hyde County last week.
“We worked very hard last week and I feel safe in saying the community has received the treatment ... they need,” said Luana Gibbs, a public-health nurse with Hyde County Health Department, in an interview Monday. Cases have been treated with antibiotics, she said.
Gibbs would not release exact figures regarding the number of diagnosed cases, probable cases and potential cases. She would say, however, that most of the cases affected children.
The Hope Mennonite School in Grassy Ridge was closed last week after 24 of 27 students were deemed “symptomatic,” meaning they showed signs of the communicable disease, Gibbs said.
Whooping cough, or pertussis, begins with symptoms like those of the common cold, such as a runny nose. As it progresses, it is characterized by repeated, lengthy coughing fits, particularly at night in children. The coughs end in a forced breath — creating a high-pitched “whoop” sound, according to a release from the Hyde County Health Department.
It comes from the bordetella pertussis bacteria that lives in the mouth, nose and throat and is spread by droplets from coughing and sneezing, according to the Beaufort County Health Department. Whooping cough is most severe in children less than 1 year old.
The health department asks people to contact their doctors if they have:
*Fits of coughing to the point that they have trouble catching their breath
*Coughing that ends in vomiting,
*Coughing that lasts more than two weeks,
*Close contact (within 3 feet for at least 30 minutes) with someone who has a diagnosed case
Effective hand washing is needed to reduce the spread of whooping cough, according to the health departments.
For more information, contact the Beaufort County Health Department at 946-1902.
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