There are now nine confirmed cases of pertussis in Nemaha County.
That word today ( Tuesday ) from Nemaha County Community Health Services Director Jane Sunderland.
Sunderland says all nine cases, involving youth from elementary to high school age, are in the Centralia area.
She says they are working to determine who might be affected and busy giving immunizations to those who might have come in contact with those affected by the disease.
Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a contagious bacterial respiratory disease.
Sunderland says the early symptoms of pertussis often begin like a cold, with a runny nose, sneezing, fever, and cough...( play audio )
Pertussis is spread by bacteria found in the mouth, nose, and throat of infected people. The bacteria are spread in the air by droplets produced during sneezing or coughing. Symptoms usually appear six to twenty days after inhaling the droplets.
Sunderland stresses the single most effective control measure against pertussis is vaccination.
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