Warning: Deadly and Highly Contagious Disease Spreading Quickly Across CA

While you were celebrating the holidays, a highly contagious and deadly disease has been making a strong comeback in California. In fact, the number of reported cases of the dangerous sicknesses this year is around 6 times higher than last year.

So, what is the sickness and is there anything you can do to avoid it?

Highly Contagious Disease in CA at an All-Time High Since 2019

California has been especially hard hit by the recent rise in cases of Pertussis, also known as Whooping Cough, in 2024. The sickness is extremely contagious and dangerous or deadly to certain people.

The spike in cases this year has been dramatic as there were less than 300 cases in California that were reported in 2023 and that number was already 6 times higher by the end of September of 2024. That number will no doubt be higher as we wrap up the holiday season. The report from the California Department of Public Health on September 30th showed 1,744 cases of pertussis with San Diego hit the hardest followed by Marin and LA.

Can a Mask Protect You From Whooping Cough

Pertussis is a bacterial respiratory illness and can be deadly to infants, the elderly, and other at-risk people. There has only been 1 reported death in the last 6 years in California, an infant in 2019. In 2010 there were 10 infant deaths caused by the sickness. For most people, whooping cough presents itself as a common cold early on with a runny or stuffed nose, mild fever, and mild cough. Those symptoms can last up to 2 weeks.

For babies, they may not present all the symptoms but will struggle to breathe or have long pauses in breathing.

Following the ‘common cold’ symptoms, pertussis turns into violent coughing fits that may cause vomiting, tiredness, difficulty breathing and sleeping, and possibly fractured or broken ribs. These symptoms can last up to 6 weeks followed by 2 to 3 weeks of recovery with occasional coughing fits.

There is a whooping cough vaccine available that can limit the effects of the bacteria and wearing a mask can also help avoid transmission of the sickness. If you feel sick, you should contact your healthcare provider immediately.

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H/T to 107.9 Lite FM for the alert on the sickness