Three Cases of Whooping Cough in Ionia County

A post on the Ionia County Health Department’s Facebook page indicates that there are confirmed cases of Whooping Cough in Ionia County. The post dated 12/11/18 said, “We have had three cases of Pertussis (Whooping Cough) in Ionia County in the last few weeks - all in young children. Pertussis is an awful disease. Please make sure that you and your family are up-to-date on all of your vaccinations!”

According to the Centers for Disease Control , “Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory disease. It is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis.

Pertussis is known for uncontrollable, violent coughing which often makes it hard to breathe. After cough fits, someone with pertussis often needs to take deep breaths, which result in a “whooping” sound. Pertussis can affect people of all ages, but can be very serious, even deadly, for babies less than a year old.

The best way to protect against pertussis is by getting vaccinated.”