Whooping Cough Outbreak in the Treasure Valley

Whooping cough can be deadly and its spreading like wildfire across the Treasure Valley. Here's what you need to know.

89 cases of whooping cough have been reported here during the past four months according to KTVB.

Whooping cough or pertussis as it is sometimes called is completely preventable through a vaccine, but if you or your children have not been vaccinated of course you won't be protected.

I understand that there are still some who are leery of vaccines. Autism caused a lot of fears in a lot of mother's for a long time. I was one of those mother's. When my child was diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum at 2 1/2 I looked at anything and everything that could have caused it. Turns out the Autism/Vaccine correlation has been debunked time and time again and at least in the case of my son I can see that it's my own genetics that have caused him to be labeled as such.

Back to the whooping cough, interestingly this is the same shot as the tetanus shot you are supposed to get every ten years.

Whooping cough is particularly dangerous because of how contagious it is and how deadly it can be to babies and young children.

The scary thing is the warning signs start out very subtle. A runny nose and a slight cough, which most would disregard as a common cold.

Later symptoms include a high fever, head ache, body aches, pain, extreme fatigue, and a violent cough followed by gasping for air.

The vaccine is not a sure fire prevention though. Research from the Central District Health Department show 50% of those who develop whooping cough have been vaccinated.

Luckily, whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics but get vaccinated and go to the doctor if you are experiencing any symptoms.