The South Dakota Department of Health is confirming a child death due to a co-infection of pertussis and influenza.
Officials say it’s the state’s first death of a child due to pertussis, also called “whooping cough,” since 2023.
The state is seeing pertussis cases in several communities and flu activity statewide. Health officials say vaccination is the best protection against the diseases.
“Pertussis can be a very serious illness,” said Dr. Joshua Clayton, State Epidemiologist for the Department of Health. “Taking preventative measures like washing hands often and staying current with the pertussis vaccine helps protect you and your family.”
According to the Department of Health, pertussis is spread from person to person when breathing in respiratory particles from an infected person. The respiratory particles are spread when a person with pertussis sneezes or coughs.
It usually takes seven to 10 days after exposure to develop symptoms. Early symptoms resemble the common cold with runny nose, low-grade fever, and mild cough which are more severe at night. Later symptoms include numerous rapid coughs followed by a high-pitched whoop, and mucus discharge or vomiting following a coughing episode.
Antibiotics can help stop a person who is sick from spreading pertussis. Five days of treatment is needed to stop the bacteria from spreading, even though the person may continue to cough. Without antibiotics, a person can spread the pertussis bacteria for 21 days.