PROVO, Utah (ABC 4 News) - A record numberof Whooping Cough cases have been reported in Utah County.
"We have seen the highest rate of pertussis in the county in five years," said Dr. Joseph Miner, Utah County Health Department executive director.
According to the Utah County Health Dept., there have been more than 155 confirmed cases of the disease reported recently.
UCHD said that there were only 38 cases in 2010, placing the county well over the national average.
According to Miner, there haven't been numbers like that since 2005/2006.
Pertussis is known for uncontrollable, violent coughing which often makes it hard to breathe. After fits of many coughs, someone with pertussis often needs to take deep breathes which result in a "whooping" sound. Pertussis affects people of all ages who are not current on their immunizations, but the most serious complications are seen commonly in infants and young children and can be fatal, especially in babies less than one year of age.
For information on UCHD vaccine clinics, please see
www.UtahCountyHealth.org/immunizations or call 801-851-7024. For information of pertussis, please see
www.cdc.gov/pertussis.
----Information from: The Utah County Health Department.