The whooping cough outbreak that has gripped California this year continues to infect and sicken people. In the year 2010, as of 11-30-2010, California has logged the highest number of cases in 63 years. Here are the latest numbers as reported by the California Department of Public Health.
- 7,297 confirmed, probable and suspect cases of pertussis reported in 2010, for a state rate of 18.7 cases/100,000.
- Case Classification:
-Confirmed: ~63% (4,597)
-Probable: ~19% (1,350)
-Suspect: ~19% (1,350)
- Case Classification:
- This is the most cases reported in 63 years when 9,394 cases were reported in 1947, and the highest incidence in 52 years when a rate of 26 cases/100,000 was reported in 1958.
- 174 (58%) of hospitalized cases were infants <3 months of age, and 225 (75%) were infants <6 months of age.
- 169 (75%) of the hospitalized infants <6 months of age with known race and ethnicity were Hispanic.
- 10 deaths have been reported; 9 (90%) were Hispanic infants. Nine fatalities were infants <2 months of age at time of disease onset and had not received any doses of pertussis-containing vaccine;the 10th victim was an ex-28 week preemie that was 2 months of age and had received the first dose of DTaP only 15 days prior to disease
onset. - The case-fatality rate among infants <3 months of age is 1.6%.
- Rates are highest in infants <6 months of age (361.9 cases/100,000), in children aged 7-9 years (54 cases/100,000) and children aged 6 months-6 years (46 cases/100,000)
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