Old Disease Making a Comeback in Maine, New Hampshire, & Massachusetts. Here’s What You Need to Know

I used to watch a lot of old movies when I was a kid.

I had older parents who gravitated toward the movies they watched when they were kids back in the30s, 40s, and 50s.  Yes, I had really old parents!

Those movies often talked about illnesses and diseases that we no longer hear about.  Tuberculosis, typhoid fever, and measles, for example.

It looks like one of those illnesses is now making a comeback.

Whooping Cough in Maine, New Hampshire, & Massachusetts

According to the Maine Centers for Disease Control, the state is seeing an uptick in cases of pertussis, or as it is better known, whooping cough.

A recent article on the Maine CDC website says that, between January 1^st and October 23^rd of 2024, there were 101 confirmed cases of pertussis in Maine.  The were only 76 cases for the entire year in 2023.

Several cases were reported recently at Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School in Brunswick.

New Hampshire and Massachusetts are also reporting a surge in cases.  Massachusetts has seen a massive increase this year.  In 2023, there were 11 cases of pertussis in Massachusetts.  So far, in 2024, there have been over 540 cases.

According to NPR, there have been over 16,000 confirmed cases of whooping cough nationwide in 2024.

What is Whooping Cough?

According to the CDC website, the illness starts like a common cold but the accompanying ‘whooping’ cough can last for weeks or months.

The site explains:

Whooping cough is a respiratory illness caused by a type of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. The disease is only found in humans.

Whooping cough bacteria attach to the cilia (tiny, hair-like extensions) that line part of the upper respiratory system. The bacteria release toxins (poisons), which damage the cilia and cause airways to swell.

The illness is airborne, so it is spread when someone inhales droplets containing the bacteria.

You can prevent the spread by washing your hands and getting a whooping cough vaccine.  Doctors may also prescribe post-exposure antibiotics to stop the infection in people who have come in contact with those who are ill with pertussis.