Whooping cough in Wisconsin; cases much higher than previous years

PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. - Cases of whooping cough are surging and the Port Washington-Saukville School District notified parents that several students were infected this week.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services said there have been more than 1,730 confirmed cases.

"[It] might start with runny nose or mild fever," said Milwaukee Health Department Infectious Disease Epidemiologist Lindsey Page.

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It might initially seem like a common cold, but if your symptoms get worse over time, it could be pertussis.

"There’s a lot of pertussis cases, or whooping cough cases, in Wisconsin," said UW Health Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist Greg DeMuri.

It is a highly contagious respiratory infection.

"[The] state health department is reporting over 1,700 cases, and normally – we’d have probably less than 100, so this is a really bad year for whooping cough," DeMuri said. "The people who are vulnerable to getting severe disease with it, severe infection, are infants – children less than one."

The DHS reports that kids and teens make up nearly half of those confirmed cases.

"If you do get it, and you are fully vaccinated, you are likely to have more mild symptoms, less likely to be hospitalized," Page said.

How can you tell if you or your kid has it?

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"Bad cough, prolonged cough – sometimes it is termed the ‘100-day cough’ because the cough can really last up to three months," DeMuri said.

Experts say your best bet is to get tested by a health care provider right away.  

"[We] recommend that people get treated to help prevent the spread to other people," DeMuri said.

Health experts urge people to make sure people should get vaccinated to protect themselves and others.