Pertussis: Rates by Year, New Mexico and U.S., 1998 to 2020
Indicator Report Data View Options
Why Is This Important?
Pertussis or "whooping cough" is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection caused by the Bordetella pertussis bacteria. Since vaccine-induced immunity to Bordetella pertussis is of limited duration, many adolescents and most adults have little or no residual immunity. Most reported pertussis cases among adolescents and adults are thought to occur because of this decline in protective immunity. Infants who are too young to have been fully vaccinated are at high risk of severe and potentially life-threatening illness from exposure to persons with active disease. Pertussis vaccine led to a dramatic decrease in the incidence of the disease, from approximately 150 cases per 100,000 population pre-vaccine in the 1940s to about 1 case per 100,000 by 1980; however, pertussis disease rates have increased since 1980.
Definition
The number of probable and confirmed cases of Pertussis per 100,000 population (person-years at risk). Includes confirmed and probable cases.
Data Notes
NOTE: The pertussis case definition was modified by CSTE effective January 1, 2020.Data Sources
- U.S. Data Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS)
- New Mexico Population Estimates: University of New Mexico, Geospatial and Population Studies (GPS) Program.
(http://gps.unm.edu/) - New Mexico Data Source, Up to 2005: National Electronic Telecommunications System for Surveillance (NETSS), since 2006: New Mexico Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NM-EDSS). Infectious Disease Epi. Bureau, New Mexico Department of Health.
How the Measure is Calculated
| Numerator: | Number of confirmed and probable pertussis cases that occurred during the measurement (time) period. |
| Denominator: | Estimated total population at risk during the measurement (time) period. |
Data Issues
All population estimates apply to July 1 of the selected year. These estimates are considered the most accurate estimates for the state of New Mexico and should match those found on the University of New Mexico Geospatial and Population Studies website. Estimates include decimal fractions. Census tract population estimates were summed to produce County and Small Area population estimates. Population estimate totals may vary due to rounding. Population estimates for previous years are occasionally revised as new information becomes available. When publishing trend data, always be sure that your rates for earlier years match current rates on NM-IBIS that have been calculated with the most up-to-date population estimates.Health Topic Pages Related to: Pertussis
Community Health Resources and Links
- Healthy People 2030 Website
- The Guide to Community Preventive Services
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
- County Health Rankings
- Kaiser Family Foundation's StateHealthFacts
Medical literature can be queried at the PubMed website.