On Friday, the Department of Public Health and social services confirmed one case of whooping cough, also known as pertussis.

The case is a 9-month-old unvaccinated child, the third case involving unvaccinated children in the past 12 months.

Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by bacteria that can cause severe coughing fits for 10 weeks or longer, often followed by a “whoop” sound when inhaling.

It can lead to serious complications in infants, including seizures, pneumonia, and brain damage. Some infants may not cough at all, instead experiencing life-threatening pauses in breathing or struggling to breathe.

Public Health Director Therese Arriola urges the community to stay vigilant:

“It’s preventable. It’s unfortunate because it came from a family that is unvaccinated. I’m calling all the people of Guam to please,” said Arriola. “Make sure your children are vaccinated, make sure you are vaccinated, take care of yourselves and your families, and take care of the people you love and you work with and you surround yourself with.”

Again, pertussis is a vaccine-preventable disease. 

For more on vaccine recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.