PERTUSSIS IN BARROW TUES OCT 16


There is a second lab-confirmed case of Pertussis (whooping cough) in Barrow and it is suspected that there are more cases and danger of a break out.  Pertussis is a concern especially when diagnosed in infants and elderly who are at risk for complications and death if not treated soon enough. 

This case concerned a young woman who was taken to the hospital last week with cold symptoms and uncontrolled coughing.  A nasal pharynx culture was taken and sent to a lab in Anchorage.  The Health Department, where I work, got a call on late Monday from the State Epidemiology Office in Anchorage saying that the lab result showed that it was an active case of Pertussis.  Because Pertussis is a contagious disease, the Health Department is charged with contacting the infected person, triaging for current symptoms, beginning a five day Z-pack treatment of azithromycin or confirming that they have begun treatment through their primary health provider.   All close contacts of the person are documented and interviewed for symptoms and started or confirmed that they have started on a prophylactic regimen of azithromycin.  This case involved eight people in the home where she is living including two premature infants and two, three and one people in separate homes.  All medical records are pulled up to confirm that Dtap (Diptheria, Tetanus and Pertussis) immunizations are current.  It was interesting that the young woman in this case was current on all of her immunizations.  In looking this up, I discovered that this particular immunization provides 80% assurance of immunity, and that a weakened immune system can make a person more susceptible.  Everyone in the primary household in this case was being treated with azithromycin and all other contacts were asked to go to their primary providers and to begin prophylactic treatment.  Several had acute symptoms of Pertussis.  The Health Department is required to fax all completed documentation back to the State Epidemiology Office within 24 hours.  The hope of is to contain the outbreak.

It took 20 minutes for the two people from Expediting and myself to pick up some more of my boxes at the post office, drop them off at the apartment and return to work.  Amazing that there are no freeways here, no traffic to contend with and no long distances between locations when driving.  Nothing edible arrives, so continue to be raisonless and trying to remember what carob tastes like.

I loved walked home tonight feeling very happy to be learning about public health nursing and for the level of training I’m receiving.  My “to do and learn” list is appreciable, but the willingness of the Coordinator and other public health nurses to get me up to speed is refreshing.  I now have computer access to all of the needed data bases and programs.

I fell asleep to the sounds of the roaring wind.  There is a storm alert and crews are working to pile up gravel and dirt at the beach preventing damage to buildings on its perimeter.  Residents are saying that they rarely see the waves this high.  We are expecting one to two inches of snowfall during the night and it will drift because of the high winds. 

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