Whooping cough outbreak reported in Marathon County. Here's what you should know.

ATHENS − Several individuals have been diagnosed with pertussis, or whooping cough, recently in the village of Athens in western Marathon County.

Whooping cough is a contagious bacterial disease that affects the respiratory tract, according to the Marathon County Health Department. Early symptoms are “cold-like with mild cough and progress to coughing fits that may include a whooping sound and vomiting," the department said in a news release. 'Whooping' sounds like a long, strained breath.

Whooping cough can effect everyone, but it is especially dangerous for pregnant people, babies and those with weakened immune systems. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services urges any baby, caregiver or pregnant person exposed to the disease to seek treatment by a medical provider to protect the baby and mother from getting the disease. Antibiotics are typically used for treatment.

Symptoms typically appear seven to 10 days following exposure but may also appear in as little as five days and as many as 21. The cough can last for several weeks to months. If treated, people can be contagious for two weeks following the onset of a cough.

Vaccines against whooping cough are available and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends it for all babies, children, preteens and pregnant people. Adults who have never gotten a whooping cough vaccine are also recommended to get a Tdap shot, which covers tetanus (lockjaw), diphtheria and whooping cough.

DHS predicts whooping cough outbreaks to occur every two to five years. Wisconsin had two major outbreaks in 2003-2005 and 2011-2012. In 2012, 6,462 cases were reported among Wisconsin residents, according to DHS statistics. Marathon County last responded to a pertussis outbreak in 2019.

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Erik Pfantz covers local government and education in central Wisconsin for USA-TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin and values his background as a rural Wisconsinite. Reach him at epfantz@gannett.com or connect with him on X (formerly Twitter) @ErikPfantz.

This article originally appeared on Wausau Daily Herald: Whooping cough outbreak reported in Marathon County