Whooping Cough Cases Up 50% Over Last Year
Health offiicals warned Thursday that suspected cases of whooping cough in the county have increased 50% this year.
The county Department of Health Services said there have been 108 cases of the disease so far this year, compared with 70 cases during the same period last year.
Although whooping cough can be treated effectively with antibiotics, it can be fatal if not treated properly. Two people in the county have died this year of the disease.
Children are required to have immunization shots before they are admitted to school in California, but officials said that in some cases immunity can begin to wear off after about five years.
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