Pertussis is endemic in the United States. Although cyclical in nature, a gradual and sustained increase has been observed in the United States after reaching historic lows in the 1970s. In 2010, 27,550 pertussis cases were reported. Year-to-date case counts from 2012 have surpassed those from the previous 5 years for the same period.
To date, 300 cases of pertussis have been reported in Maine this calendar year, compared with 75 cases at the same time last year. The majority of cases have been in Cumberland, Somerset, and Penobscot counties, with most cases in children ages 7 to 19. Weekly pertussis updates are available on the Maine CDC website (http://www.mainepublichealth.gov/), updated every Thursday. This week's update is available at: http://go.usa.gov/fMC
US CDC recently issued a MMWR about the pertussis epidemic in Washington state, which suggests early waning of immunity from acellular pertussis vaccines.
For more information, visit http://go.usa.gov/dCO
