CDH Alerts About Death from Pertussis

BOISE, March. 3, 2025 – Salud del Distrito Central announces that a resident of their health district has died from pertussis.

The adult resident passed away from pertussis in February of 2025. While pertussis was listed as the cause of death, there were other health factors that may have contributed.

Central District Health covers Ada, Boise, Elmore, and Valley counties. The current outbreak of pertussis has been ongoing since January of 2024. There have been 574 cases of pertussis reported in the current outbreak, compared to seven cases in 2023 and two cases in 2022.

CDH recommends community members be cautious to reduce the spread of the disease. Wash your hands, cough into your arm and talk to your physician if you or your family experience a cough, runny nose, congestion or fever.

Pertussis is also known as whooping cough due to the peculiar high-pitched “whoop” sound made when the person inhales at the end of the coughing fit, although this symptom is not always experienced. Other symptoms may include a runny nose, congestion, or fever, but most people recognize it from the long-lasting cough. People may develop rapid, violent, and uncontrollable coughing fits and some may vomit after such fits due to the severity of the cough. The cough can last for months or return months after the illness first started. Pertussis is often more severe in children and those with certain underlying health conditions and can cause difficulty breathing.

“We send our heartfelt condolences to the family of this member of our community,” says Sarah Wright, epidemiology program manager at CDH. “This is a tragic reminder that the pertussis outbreak is still ongoing in our community, and that we still need to take steps to protect those in our community that are at higher risk of severe infection.”

¿Cómo se propaga la tos ferina?

The illness is caused by a bacterium, Bordetella pertussis, which is spread from person to person through the air after someone who has pertussis coughs or sneezes. If not diagnosed and treated with antibiotics, an individual can spread the disease for up to three weeks after their cough starts.
Las personas que han estado expuestas a la tos ferina también pueden tomar antibióticos antes de enfermar para prevenir la enfermedad. Si cree que tiene tos ferina o ha estado expuesto a ella, póngase en contacto con su médico para que le haga las pruebas y le indique el tratamiento.

¿La tos ferina se puede prevenir o tratar?

Tos ferina se puede prevenir y tratar. Existe una vacuna que puede proteger a una persona de enfermar o enfermar gravemente.

Immunity to pertussis begins to wane about five years after vaccination, and boosters can offer an individual more protection.

The CDC recommends two different kinds of vaccines based on age: DTaP and Tdap. The DTaP vaccine is intended for individuals two months to seven years old and is a series of five vaccines. Tdap is intended for anyone seven years or older and is usually given every five to 10 years as a booster. Both vaccines protect against pertussis, tetanus, and diphtheria.

Las mujeres embarazadas también deben hablar con su médico sobre la posibilidad de vacunarse; la vacunación durante el embarazo puede ofrecer inmunidad al bebé hasta que tenga edad suficiente para vacunarse. Si tiene dudas sobre sus necesidades de vacunación, hable con su proveedor de atención sanitaria sobre su historial de vacunación para ver si puede necesitar una vacuna de refuerzo.

CDH offers the Tdap and pediatric DTaP vaccines con cita previa en nuestra oficina de Boise.

Acerca de Central District Health

CDH, Distrito de Salud Pública IV, es uno de los siete distritos de salud pública dentro del estado de Idaho, sirviendo a los condados de Ada, Boise, Elmore y Valley. Con una visión de Gente Saludable en Comunidades Saludables, el énfasis de CDH está en disminuir los factores de riesgo de enfermedades crónicas, mejorar la calidad de vida y aumentar los años de vida saludable entre los residentes.

Contacto:

Stephanie Borders, Communications Manager
Oficina: 208-327-8639 | Móvil 208-871-1712
sborders@cdh.idaho.gov | cdh.idaho.gov/noticias
Siga a @cdhidaho (FB, Twitter e Instagram)