News, Health and Fitness
Monday, January 28, 2013
Whooping Cough Making Record Comeback Here and Nationally
By Grace Merritt
www.ctmirror.orgWhooping cough, a childhood scourge in the 1940s, has had a resurgence in Connecticut as part of a national epidemic.
The outbreak peaked in Connecticut in September with 178 cases reported in 2012, though numbers are still coming in. This is a big increase from 68 cases last year, and roughly double the normal caseload for the state, said Kathy Kudish, epidemiologist with the state Department of Public Health.
“Compared to the last decade, this is the highest number of cases we’ve seen,” Kudish said.
Many of the cases were reported in the western part of the state, predominantly in Fairfield and Litchfield counties, Kudish said. She said it is unclear precisely why that area had higher numbers. It could be that the disease is circulating more there or simply that the area is better about testing for and reporting the illness, she said.
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