Whooping cough cases up to 65 in Island County

The outbreak of whooping cough on Whidbey Island continues.

Island County Chief Medical Officer Dr. Roger Case reported late Tuesday there are 42 confirmed, five probable, and 17 suspect cases of pertussis for a total of 65.

"A few more are expected to be confirmed over the next several days," Case said.

All but seven have been from South Whidbey and the Coupeville area.

The county normally reports five to eight cases per year.

Apart from four adults, all of the cases have been children since the first reports started on May 19.

Case added that county health personnel continue to locate contacts and advise people on appropriate treatment and preventive measures in an effort to contain the spread of the very contagious disease.

Pertussis is largely preventable by timely administration of the age-appropriate vaccine, and this especially includes adults.

All cases of pertussis should be reported to the Island County Health Department immediately at 360-679-7350.

• Civil
• Smart
• On-topic
• Free of profanity

We ask that all participants own their words by registering for an account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and drive-by commenters.

As a community site, we ask that the community help by using the "Flag" button on each comment if they feel the comment has violated the rules. You can also use the up and down arrows on each comment to voice your opinion about that particular comment.

Want to tell us something but you don't want it to be public? Talk to us privately.