APPLETON, WI- Health officials in Outagamie County are raising the alarm over a recent spike in pertussis cases, commonly known as whooping cough, marking the first reported cases in the area since 2020.
The county’s Public Health Division has confirmed eight cases so far this year, with seven of them occurring since early August. All the affected individuals are children. This resurgence follows a statewide trend, with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services recently reporting a more than twelvefold increase in cases compared to last year.
Other Northeast Wisconsin communities are also experiencing an uptick in pertussis cases. In July, Fond du Lac County reported 15 cases, while Shawano County and Green Bay’s Edison Middle School confirmed cases in August.
Whooping cough is caused by bacteria and spreads through contact with an infected person’s saliva, typically through talking, coughing, or sneezing. Symptoms can take five to ten days to appear and often begin with cold-like signs such as a runny nose, mild fever, and occasional cough. However, the cough can quickly escalate to a severe, uncontrollable one, making it difficult to breathe and producing the signature “whooping” sound.
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