County Health: Take whooping cough seriously

    The Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health has confirmed 48 suspected or lab confirmed cases of pertussis (whooping cough) in the county. Disease Prevention Specialists encourage individuals to follow the guidelines to ensure the health and safety of everyone.
    “We continue to see increases in pertussis cases,” said Betty Krones, Disease Prevention Specialist at the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health. “Our

concern is that individuals are not taking this illness seriously. If you develop a cough, please isolate yourself from others and call your physician.”
    Pertussis is highly contagious and can be serious, even deadly for infants. Adolescents and adults who have not received a pertussis-containing vaccination since childhood are no longer immune to the illness; leaving them at risk to spread the disease to young children if they become ill with pertussis.
    The Health Department is encouraging individuals who have a persistent cough to contact their medical provider to be checked for pertussis. The cough may have the following symptoms:
    •Cause coughing ‘fits,’ making it difficult to breathe.
    •Be more severe at night interfering with sleep.
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