SANDPOINT, Idaho — With the region in the middle of a pertussis outbreak, there is help available, Panhandle Health District officials said.
And, the earlier you seek treatment to either confirm or rule out pertussis, the less severe your symptoms and length of illness might be.
"In general, if you [have pertussis], antibiotics can shorten the time that you're infectious so that you're not spreading it to people as well as potentially reduce how long you are ill," Rebecca Betz, PHD epidemiology manager, said. "Pertussis can last for weeks but the earlier it's treated, there's the potential for shortening the duration that you're coughing and any further complications."
Typically, in its early stages, pertussis is similar to a common cold with a runny nose, low-grade fever and a mild cough. Once the bacteria "kind of gets in there and starts doing its damage," and, in some cases, the coughing can get so severe it results in vomiting.
Betz said the "whooping" sound is not being heard in many of the cases, but there are reports of difficulty in breathing and periods of apnea, where the individual stops breathing.
Since April, the number of reported pertussis cases in North Idaho has grown from a few dozen to 166 as of mid-September, and that number is continuing to increase. The number of cases is likely much higher when unreported cases are factored in.
That compares to nine total cases over the past three years — five in 2023, three in 2022, and one in 2021.
For the full story visit our news partners at the Bonner County Daily Bee.
