POTSDAM -- With four confirmed cases in St. Lawrence County and over 200 cases in Jefferson County of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, Canton-Potsdam Hospital has been receiving calls from concerned community members who want to know more about the disease and how to prevent its spread.

Over the Thanksgiving Holiday, the hospital placed a link on its website and shared information on the disease via Facebook and Twitter.

"When families gather for the holidays, the potential to share more than a meal is always there," said Nancy L. Rutledge, RN, Vice President of Patient Care Services at CPH. "We see an increase in families visiting hospitalized loved ones at this time of year, so we want to get the word out about ways to avoid passing on the infection," she said.

Timothy K. Atkinson, MD, a family medicine specialist and Medical Director of the CPH Hospitalist Program, agreed.

"Pertussis or whooping cough is highly contagious," said Dr. Atkinson. "It is found only in humans and spreads from person to person through contact with mucous or droplets from an infected person. This most often occurs by coughing or sneezing while in close proximity," he added.

"It might act just like a common cold at first, but it can then progress to a violent cough that can last for several weeks," he concluded.

According to Dr. Atkinson, people whose immune systems may be compromised, or who have respiratory diseases, are at risk for severe complications from whooping cough. People who are hospitalized are especially vulnerable, as are infants and children who have not been immunized against the disease.

"If someone in the family has symptoms of a respiratory disease or other contagious illness, don't visit relatives who are hospitalized until the symptoms disappear," said Dr. Atkinson. "Hospitalized people do benefit from family visits, but not if family members are sick."

Nancy A. Wood, RN, CPH Infection Prevention Specialist, concurred. She added that local residents can take certain precautions during the holiday season to protect themselves and prevent the spread of infection.

"We recommend hand-washing, wearing a mask, holding a tissue over the nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, or coughing and sneezing into your elbow or sleeve as ways to prevent the spread of infectious respiratory diseases," she said.

"These are good practices, but in the case of whooping cough, staying away from others is the best way to prevent its spread. Prior to infection, immunization is an effective method for controlling the spread in the general population. Infants usually get the pertussis vaccine in combination when they are immunized for tetanus and diphtheria," said Ms. Wood.

"Parents should consult their family physician or pediatrician for advice on immunizations," she said.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, the cumulative total number of pertussis cases as of November 20, 2010 in upstate New York (New York State excluding New York City) is 485, compared to 203 at this same time last year. Cases are on the rise in the Pacific Northwest, Mountain, East North Central, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.

Cases have decreased from last year in most of the Southern states. CDC recommends that all adults aged 19 to 64 years have one dose of the tetanus and diphtheria with pertussis (Tdap) vaccine.

In October 2010, CDC expanded its recommendation to advise that people aged 65 and older get immunized against the disease because of a potential increased risk for passing it to infants.

More information on the vaccine can be found on the CDC's website at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/combo-vaccines/dtap-td-dt/tdap.htm.

More information about whooping cough/pertussis is available by visiting the websites of the New York State Department of Health or the Vermont State Department of Health.

Patients may also contact their primary health care practitioner or pediatrician.

A list of CPH primary health care providers is available at www.cphospital.org.