The Department of Public Health and Social Services has confirmed one new case of Pertussis or Whooping Cough in Guam, bringing the total confirmed cases for 2025 to five.
The laboratory confirmation has triggered an epidemiologic case investigation and has begun tracing individuals who may have come in contact with the subject patient to determine the source of the exposure, according to a release on Friday by the department. Pertussis is a highly contagious bacterial infection that attacks the respiratory system, which Public Health stressed is vaccine preventable.
“It can cause severe coughing fits (up to 10 weeks or more), followed by a high-pitched โwhoopโ sound when breathing in. Vomiting and exhaustion may also follow. Pertussis can lead to serious complications, especially in infants, such as pneumonia, dehydration, seizures and brain damage. Some infants may not cough at all. Instead, they may have apnea (life-threatening pauses in breathing) or struggle to breathe,” Public Health said.
