Whooping Cough Cases Hit 5-Year High in Suffolk County

Number of cases being investigated reach 195.

A high school student in Northport on Long Island is the latest to suffer a bout with whooping cough.    

That brings the number of cases investigated by Suffolk County health officials this year to 195.     

The agency told Newsday that the number reflects both actual and probable cases of the bacterial infection.     

It said the outbreak began as a small cluster of 11 cases in Smithtown earlier this year.     

The county is in the midst of the largest whooping cough outbreak in five years. Last year, 54 cases were record and 75 in 2009.    

The infection can be treated with antibiotics or prevented through vaccinations.     

Whooping cough or pertussis causes a barking cough that can be so violent sufferers are unable to catch a breath. 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us