Whooping Cough Tied to Hospital Worker

Public health officials said they have found the source of a Texas outbreak of whooping cough (pertussis) in 2004. It was a hospital worker who had whooping cough symptoms around that time. She worked in a newborn nursery. She cared for 11 newborns who developed whooping cough a few weeks later. Nine of the sick babies were admitted to hospitals. Children are vaccinated against whooping cough. But health care workers and adults in close contact with babies should get a booster, health officials said. The shot is called Tdap. Reuters Health news service wrote about the study June 5.