MSDH to release respiratory surveillance report across the state
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – The Mississippi State Department of Health is releasing its respiratory surveillance report, and it’s a case of good news and bad news.
The bad news: 136 cases of Pertussis, or Whooping Cough, have been reported so far this year. That’s the highest in the past 15 years.
Most of those are in the 5 to 17 age group. 20 of the cases were in children under the vaccination age.
The good news: the overall flu-like illness numbers are down two point 6% compared to last week.
With all but two of the state’s nine districts showing decreases.
District Two, which covers several counties in Northeast Mississippi, including Lee, Itawamba, Prentiss, Pontotoc, Union, Tishomingo, Tippah, and Alcorn, saw the biggest *increase*, going from 3.3% to 5.5%.
The state department of health recommends everyone get the appropriate, updated vaccines to provide the best possible defense.
