Cerro Gordo County health officials are looking into several cases of pertussis, better known as whooping cough. County epidemiologist Gretchen Nissen says they want to make sure people know that the illness has shown up in the area. Nissen says most children are vaccinated against whooping cough, but the vaccine wears out over time. She says older children and even adults are susceptible to the illness, but there are treatments. Nissen says while all the cases were reported within one family or their acquaintances, people still need to be on the look out for symptoms of whooping cough. She says anyone that has had a cough for roughly 14 days or more should immediately see their doctor.Whooping cough is very contagious as it is spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Symptoms usually present themselves in two stages, with the first set resembling cold symptoms. The second set of symptoms includes uncontrolled coughing spells and a whooping noise in young children when they inhale.
