Whooping cough outbreak eclipses record in McHenry County

The number of whooping cough cases in McHenry County has surpassed the record set in 2004, and officials anticipate even greater numbers as the holidays approach.

As of Wednesday afternoon, there were 192 cases reported in 33 schools and 14 communities, said McHenry County Health Department spokeswoman Debra Quackenbush. The number of cases could top 200 by the end of the week, she said. The previous record, set in 2004, was 191 cases.

“They are jumping pretty quickly,” Quackenbush said. “People will continue to get together at parties, whether it’s for school or business and, of course, family gatherings. This is the beginning of a very busy social season and that unfortunately doesn’t bode well for an outbreak.”

Quackenbush said she was not aware of any cases that required hospitalizations, although some of the ill were children as young as 3 months old.

The health department has hosted five walk-in vaccination clinics so far. People are advised to get the pertussis, or whooping cough, vaccine through their primary care physician or at local pharmacies, she said.

“It takes seven to 14 days before your body is protected. Christmas is coming. I want people to know, get that vaccine now,” she said.

The symptoms of whooping cough include cough, runny nose, sneezing and low-grade fever; they can last several weeks and lead to complications like pneumonia, encephalitis or pulmonary hypertension, officials said. The disease can spread easily through coughing and sneezing.

For details, visit mcdh.info or call the health department at (815) 334-4510.