Saturday, May 18th, 2013
Whooping Cough (Pertussis) Our community has experienced a significant increase in the number of cases of whooping cough (pertussis) in recent months. Pertussis is caused by bacteria that is shed in discharges from the nose and throat and spread to others through coughing and sneezing. This illness typically starts with upper respiratory symptoms with an increasingly irritating cough as the illness progresses. The cough develops a characteristic "whoop" after one to two weeks.