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Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Whooping cough outbreak in Linn County
Gazette Staff/SourceMedia
Nov. 20, 2010 6:09 am
CEDAR RAPIDS - A pertussis, or whooping cough, outbreak has been declared in Linn County because of a higher than normal average number of cases compared with last year.
The Iowa Department of Public Health declared the outbreak based on the nine cases of pertussis confirmed in the last two weeks.
Symptoms include a runny nose and irritating cough; uncontrollable coughing spells; trouble catching breath after coughing; high-pitched cough while gasping for air; and coughing fits at night, sometimes followed by vomiting.
Anyone suspected of having whooping cough or who is exposed to a person with the disease should be seen by their physician immediately, the health department said.
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