Midwest Whooping Cough Hits More Than 100

An ongoing outbreak of whooping cough since March has sickened more than 100 people in the Chicago area and three dozen in North Dakota, officials said.

An ongoing outbreak of whooping cough since March has sickened more than 100 people in the Chicago area and three dozen in North Dakota, officials said.Illinois health officials said 107 cases have been confirmed since March in four counties. No deaths have been reported.The outbreak has hit adolescents the hardest, with 80 percent of the cases involving 10 to 15 year olds.In North Dakota, health officials are urging parents to vaccinate their children after cases increased sixfold to 36 in the past two weeks.The disease is highly contagious, and symptoms are similar to those of a cold, including runny nose, sneezing, low-grade fever and a cough that gradually worsens. Anyone displaying symptoms of the disease should seek medical attention to be treated with antibiotics, officials said.The Illinois Department of Public Health plans to send samples of the whooping cough strain to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for scientific study, Ludicky said.A five-dose vaccine is recommended for children beginning at 2 months of age. Children should then receive more doses as they grow older.But the vaccine’s power wanes with time and can be completely gone 12 years after the final dose, which is usually given between the ages of 4 and 6.(Source: ASsociated Press, July 2004)