Humboldt health officials watch for possible whooping cough surge
County health workers are watching four exposure sites in McKinleyville, Arcata and Fortuna after a confirmed pertussis case. Babies and exposed families face the biggest risk.
Humboldt County Public Health issued a June 17 alert confirming a local pertussis case and warning that exposures may have occurred at four sites in McKinleyville, Arcata and Fortuna. County officials are tracking cases that may be the beginning of a spike, a concern because whooping cough tends to flare in communities every three to seven years.
The exposure sites named in the alert were North Coast Nurture Center at 1807 Central Ave. in McKinleyville, Trumpet Behavioral Health at 901 O St., Suite C, in Arcata, Rainbow Dreamers in-home daycare in Fortuna, and the Humboldt Senior Resource Center at 3200 Newburg Road in Fortuna. People who were at those locations and later develop mild cold symptoms should contact a medical provider.
Babies too young to be fully vaccinated are the most vulnerable if pertussis starts spreading more widely. School-aged children, childcare settings, health care providers and families with infants also sit in the highest-risk path because pertussis spreads easily before a person realizes they are sick.
Pertussis is a very contagious respiratory illness, and the classic cough or whoop is not always present. Early treatment with antibiotics may make whooping cough less serious, and vaccination and postexposure antimicrobial prophylaxis help prevent spread.
On Jan. 3, 2025, the California Department of Public Health warned that whooping cough activity in California was on the rise, with more than 2,000 reported cases and one infant death between January and October 2024.
Humboldt County Public Health’s Communicable Disease Program can be reached at (707) 268-2182.
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