Pertusis outbreak has Johnson County whooping it up

There’s an outbreak of whooping cough in Johnson County. Officials have identified 30 cases in the Iowa City area. Elizabeth Miller is a disease prevention specialist with the Johnson County Health Department.Miller says whooping cough in most school-age children and adults isn’t that serious. But in infants and the elderly, whooping cough can lead to pneumonia or serious breathing problems. Miller says fortunately, whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, which reduce the contagious nature of the illness. Miller says with 30 cases, this is definitely an outbreak. She says they normally only have two or three cases during a year. The most cases they ever had were 150 in 1997.Your doctor may call whooping cough by its other name, pertussis.