Five cases of whooping cough reported
JANESVILLE — The Rock County Health Department has seen five cases this year of pertussis, or whooping cough, in school-aged children, which is a concern because a vaccine is available, said Karen Cain, health officer.
That compares to one case in the county last year, four cases in 2007 and seven cases in 2006, she said.
Symptoms of whooping cough include a cough that can last for weeks and seem like it won't go away and a cough with the "whooping" sound, she said.
Children should be up-to-date on their vaccines because the pertussis vaccine is included in the booster shots kids receive as infants, at school entrance and at middle and high school age, she said.
Anyone with whooping cough symptoms should stay home and visit a doctor because pertussis is treatable with antibiotics, she said.
"We always worry when we see a vaccine-preventable disease coming up in the county," she said.
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