California declares pertussis epidemic
California health officials today upgraded pertussis activity in the state to epidemic status, with more than 800 cases reported over the past 2 weeks, according to a statement from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
As of Jun 10, 3,458 cases had been reported, passing the number of cases reported for all of 2013. The CDPH said pertussis activity is cyclical and peaks every 3 to 5 years, and because the last peak occurred in 2010, it's likely that another peak is under way.
Ron Chapman, MD, MPH, CDPH director and state health officer, said in the statement that preventing disease in infants is the state's highest priority. "We urge all pregnant women to get vaccinated. We also urge parents to vaccinate infants as soon as possible," he said.
Infants who are too young to be fully vaccinated are at highest risk for severe and fatal pertussis infections, the agency said. So far two infant deaths have been reported and two thirds of hospitalizations for the disease have been in children age 4 months or younger.
The CDPH also said older children, preadolescents, and adults should be vaccinated based on current recommendations. "Unlike some other vaccine-preventable diseases, like measles, neither vaccination nor illness from pertussis offers lifetime immunity," Chapman said. "However, vaccination is still the best defense against this potentially fatal disease."
In a Jun 10 update, the CDPH said that although pertussis is cyclical, incidence has increased since 1990 because of the transition to acellular vaccines, which come with fewer side effects but offer a shorter window of protection.
The CDPH said school outbreaks have been reported from across the state, with the highest incidence in Sonoma, Napa, and Marin counties.
Nationally, the number of pertussis infections reported as of Apr 14 was up 24% compared with the same time last year, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It said 4,838 cases had been reported by 48 states and Washington, DC.
Jun 13 CDPH press release
Jun 10 CDPH pertussis update
CDC pertussis background
Measles cases triple in Eastern Mediterranean region
Measles cases in the World Health Organization's Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) tripled from 2008 to 2012, the CDC said today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
Cases in the 23-nation region increased from 12,186 to 36,456 in that span, putting a serious crimp in plans to eliminate the disease from the EMR by 2015. That amounts to an increased incidence from 21.4 to 59.5 cases per million population.
Nations with conflict and insecurity or with a high incidence of measles saw large outbreaks, with the largest in Iraq (35,822 cases, 2008-09), Somalia (27,281 cases, 2011-12), Pakistan (16,753 cases, 2010-12), and Sudan (14,139 cases, 2011-12).
Achieving measles elimination in the region requires two doses of vaccine, the CDC said. In 2012, 10 countries had measles vaccination coverage of 95% or higher, 2 had coverage from 90% to 94%, 10 had coverage under 90% (ranging from 46% to 85%), and 1 had no coverage data available.
Jun 13 MMWR report