Dozen cases of whooping cough downstate

PEKIN -- A dozen cases of whooping cough have been confirmed in Tazewell County in central Illinois over the last six weeks.

The Tazewell County Health Department says most of the cases have been confirmed in the last week. Those with whooping cough range in age from 5-months-old to age 36. Health officials say some of the cases are linked and others aren't.

Health experts say most children with whooping cough have receive vaccinations.

Authorities in Winnebago County in northern Illinois reported an outbreak of 33 whooping cough cases in May.

Whooping cough can start like a cold, but turns into a characteristic high-pitched cough that comes in spasms and can last for months. It's spread through coughing and sneezing and close contact with an infected person.