7 whooping cough cases confirmed

BEAVERCREEK, Ohio (WDTN) - Seven cases of whooping cough were confirmed in Greene County..

2 News has learned the patients are all children from 2nd through 5th grades, at a Beavercreek School.

Health officials were asking residents to make sure they were immunized. Officials said the childhood vaccine does fade over time, so adolescents and adults need to be revaccinated.

Whooping cough symptoms start off as typical flu or cold symptoms with a cough. After a week or two, the coughing got more severe. Health officials said, the whooping sound came when your lungs completely ran out of air, after a severe coughing fit, so you were forced to inhale with a big whoop.

Experts said it was one of the most contagious bacterial infections out there.

Typically there were about 4 cases of whooping cough or pertussis each year. This year, they had 7 in Greene County alone.

Health officials said all of the kids were recovering at home.

"Last year 18 children died from whooping cough and really there's no reason to die from whooping cough," said Mark McDonnell, the health commissioner in Greene County.

He said the treatment was fairly simple.

"Antibiotics. Fortunately this is a bacteria, so antibiotics work on this," said McDonnell.

If you or your children are not up to date on your shots, health officials advise you to make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible.

You can contact your local health department for more information about this infection.