Cases of Whooping Cough on the Rise in DuPage County

As of Dec. 1, 195 cases of whooping cough have been confirmed in DuPage County, according to the Chicago Tribune. Health department officials are attempting to contain the situation, which the Tribune is calling the worst outbreak in years.

Pertussis, known commonly as whooping cough, is highly infectious. DuPage County Health Department officials say symptoms are generally mild and appear five to 10 days after exposure.

Symptoms begin with a mild fever and an occasional cough, which lasts for at least two weeks. Symptoms can become severe, developing into the spasmodic coughing that gives whooping cough its distinctive sound.

Generally the disease is mild in older children and adults, according to David Hass, public information officer for the DCHD. Hass told Patch in an interview last year that whooping cough is more complicated for older adults, young children and infants, especially those who have incomplete immunizations or no immunizations at all.

Hass said that for people in high-risk groups, it is important to be vaccinated.

For more information of pertussis visit the Center for Disease Control website.