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Pertussis outbreak in NY ongoing
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What started out as a small pocket of about a dozen patients with pertussis in one area of Long Island, N.Y., has spread and now includes upward of 200 people, according to the Suffolk County Department of Health Services.
Dennis Russo, MD, director of public health emergency preparedness at the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, said Suffolk County has the highest number of cases reported since 2006.
Although none of the cases are currently linked to travel to California, where an outbreak has affected about 10,000 people, Russo said the New York and California outbreaks hold some important take-home messages for clinicians.
“The first take-home message for clinicians is that just because someone is up-to-date with their vaccinations, they should not discount a particular illness, including pertussis,” Russo said. “It is important to do the polymerase chain reaction test.”
He also said although New York is seeing increasing numbers, at least in Suffolk County, the outbreak is demonstrating that the vaccine is still effective.
“We have 1.5 million people across the county, and about 210 cases,” Russo said. “Data indicate the vaccine is 80% effective, which means that everyone should be vaccinated because it is still a very good vaccine.”
The outbreak is being investigated by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services and the New York State Department of Health.
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