New Zealand Honeymoon Haven Plagued by Highly Contagious Disease: 108 Cases Confirmed

The leading spot for honeymoons is currently experiencing a significant surge in cases of an extremely infectious illness.

Hawaii Health authorities revealed earlier this week that pertussis – which might be more familiar as whooping cough – is increasing in the well-visited tourist destination at an alarming pace. as reported by Spectrum Local News.

By May 15, the state had documented 108 cases for this year, exceeding last year’s total of 84 cases, according to the State of Hawaii Department of Health.

It called whooping cough a 'highly contagious respiratory disease' that spreads from bacteria through the air.

Initially, the signs might seem like a common cold, but they can swiftly escalate to severe bouts of coughing.

In kids, these episodes might be succeeded by a deep inhalation that creates a distinctive 'whoop' noise because of obstructed air passages that haven’t completely developed yet. Fox News reports.

Health authorities cautioned that complications from the illness can be severe and potentially fatal, particularly for unvaccinated infants and young children.

These complications may involve pneumonia, seizures, apnea, encephalopathy (a brain disorder), and potentially could lead to death.

Dr. Marc Siegel, a senior medical analyst for Fox News, cautioned that pertussis is sneaky and can often be misidentified as another type of respiratory illness – such as a virus.

He mentioned that whooping cough, being a bacterial infection, can typically be addressed using standard antibiotics; however, it often goes undetected.

'The best protection is vaccination, including repeated boosters in teens and adults,' Siegel suggested.

The DTaP vaccine, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough, is given to kids younger than seven years old. For older children and adults, the Tdap vaccine, covering tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough, is provided.

Neha Pathak, the chief medical editor at WebMD, informed Fox News that approximately 98 out of every 100 kids vaccinated with the DTaP shot remain safeguarded against these illnesses for at least a year following their fifth dose, and around 70 percent maintain this protection up to five years later.

She also said she suggests pregnant woman get the Tdap jab during their third trimester to pass antibodies onto their newborns who are too young to get the DTaP vaccine.

Dr. Siegel additionally stated that DTaP offers 'substantial protection,' almost reaching 100 percent efficacy in children when administered the correct doses.

Nevertheless, several doses are commonly advised for babies, kids, and grown-ups as well.

However, in Hawaii, health authorities report that the vaccination rates for all routine recommended vaccines for school entry—including those against measles, pertussis, polio, and varicella (chickenpox)—have dropped since 2019.

It currently has vaccination rates even lower than the national average. as reported by Hawaii News Now.

The increase in whooping cough cases is alarming, yet expected considering the growing reluctance towards vaccination," Pathak stated.

Actually, the increase in whooping cough cases in Hawaii coincides with warnings from experts. America is primed for a significant measles outbreak if vaccine rates continue to fall at their current pace.

Research from Stanford University suggests that a mere five percent drop in vaccination rates for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine could result in approximately 5.7 million measles cases and at least 2,500 fatalities over the coming 25 years.

This equates to 228,000 cases and 320 fatalities annually.

And in a catastrophic situation, reducing vaccinations by 50 percent might inundate the nation with the life-threatening disease , potentially resulting in 51 million cases, which includes 10.3 million hospitalizations and from 151,200 to 164,700 fatalities.

In the last 25 years, the United States reported 5,567 measles cases, which averages out to about 223 annually. The year 2019 saw almost 1,300 instances, whereas 2020 had only 13 cases.

Should interest rates remain at their current levels, the United States might lose its measles elimination status in less than twenty years.

The US is experiencing its biggest measles outbreak in three decades, with the epicenter in Gaines and Lubbock counties In West Texas, only 74 percent and 92 percent of children are vaccinated, respectively.

So far, Texas has documented 728 measles cases, more than 400 of which occurred solely in Gaines County. Three young patients have passed away: two from Texas and one from New Mexico. The latter state has recorded 71 instances.

Hawaii also confirmed two cases in April, but health officials since concluded there was no further spread.

Still, health officials in the Aloha State warn they are not out of the woods on that yet, either.

"They stated in the news release last week that measles cases in the United States keep increasing, with over 1,000 instances documented across 30 states so far this year," they mentioned.

The risk of future travel-associated measles cases arriving in Hawaii stays elevated, and thus the Department of Health advises maintaining vigilant efforts to boost the MMR immunization rates.

It emphasized its 'firm' suggestion for both children and adults to ensure they are current with all their vaccinations.

Read more