When Pertusiss epidemics are plotted on a graph, they often
make a bell shape. This was true in Del Norte. As the bell shape
began to curve dramatically upwards, health officials there decided
to take aggressive action. They notified the public, encouraged
vaccinations. Yet, perhaps most importantly, began
treating suspected pertussis cases before test results confirmed
that diagnoses. Public Health officer, Dr. Thomas Martinelli
orchestrated the plan, and he says other California counties, even
much larger ones, could see similar benefits by following Del
Norte' strategy.
"Get the word out as quickly as you can, and make sure everybody is on the same page in terms of what should be done, what people should be looking for, and how it should be properly treated," Martinelli says.
Del Norte now has no reported cases. That stands in contrast to other counties, like Yolo, Los Angeles and Riverside. State health officials believe infection rates are much higher than what is being reported.
