Know the Signs of Whooping Cough

This time of year, you might be on the lookout for the flu, but it seems that there’s another affliction striking our area this winter: whooping cough, or purtussis.

According to the Marin Independent Journal, California’s whooping cough rate increased dramatically in 2013, and Marin County had the second highest rate in the State. In fact, 2013 brought nearly twice as many cases than it did in 2012, according to the California Department of Public Health.

Whooping cough is still relatively rare, but early diagnosis is key. If you don’t know the warning signs or symptoms of whooping cough, here are some things to look out for, according to the Centers for Disease Control:

Early symptoms can last for 1 to 2 weeks and usually include:

• Runny nose
• Low-grade fever (generally minimal throughout the course of the disease)
• Mild, occasional cough
• Apnea — a pause in breathing (in infants)

As the disease progresses, the traditional symptoms of pertussis appear and include:

• Paroxysms (fits) of many, rapid coughs followed by a high-pitched "whoop"
• Vomiting (throwing up)
• Exhaustion (very tired) after coughing fits

The coughing fits can go on for up to 10 weeks or more. In China, pertussis is known as the "100 day cough."

Click here for more information on whooping cough, from the CDC.