Evanston has whooping cough outbreak

Health officials in Evanston say they've confirmed five cases of whooping cough.

The City of Evanston Health and Human Services office said Wednesday that two additional cases are suspected but have yet to be confirmed.

Whooping cough -- also known as pertussis -- is transmitted through coughing, talking and sneezing and produces a rattling cough.

Winnebago County in northern Illinois announced last week that it has diagnosed 38 cases of whooping cough since the end of October. Twenty-eight of those cases involved one private school.

Symptoms typically appear five to 10 days after exposure but can take up to 21 days. The symptoms can linger for months and cause patients to lose sleep and weight.