La Crosse County, Wisconsin

What’s NEW in Communicable Diseases?

Pertussis

Whooping cough—or Pertussis—is a serious and very contagious respiratory disease that can cause long, violent coughing fits and the characteristic “whooping” sound that follows when a person gasps for air.

One important thing to remember with Pertussis is your cough usually doesn’t get better with cough medicines.

Early symptoms can last for 1 to 2 weeks and usually include:

• Runny nose                                                                           http://www.pkids.org/diseases/pertussis.html
• Low-grade fever (generally minimal throughout the course of the disease)
• Mild, occasional cough
• Apnea – a pause in breathing (in infants)

As the disease progresses, the traditional symptoms of Pertussis appear and include:

• Paroxysms (fits) of many, rapid coughs followed by a high-pitched "whoop"
• Vomiting (throwing up)
• Exhaustion (very tired) after coughing fits

INFLUENZA

**It’s flu season again and it is important to prepare yourself and your loved ones to avoid becoming sick. **

Common Flu Symptoms

The flu usually comes on suddenly and may include these symptoms:

• Fever
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Body aches
• Headache
• Chills
• Fatigue
• Vomiting and diarrhea (sometimes)

The Flu vaccine is still available at La Crosse County Health Department. Please call (608) 785-9723 for an appointment.

 For more information on these and other Communicable Diseases visit www.cdc.gov or call 1-800-CDC-INFO.