Kansas has had more cases of whooping cough, or pertussis, in the first half of this year than in all of last year. Health officials have confirmed 56 cases. Charlie Hunt is with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
It’s not something that’s in the environment, so it’s person-to-person transmission,” Hunt says. “It’s trying to survive, just like the rest of us, I suppose.”
Hunt says the highly contagious disease comes in cycles.
“I think that we’re in a cycle right now, with pertussis, where we’re just going to be seeing an increase,” Hunt says.
Hunt says the big increase now is because of an outbreak in Johnson County, but he says the disease can be curtailed with vaccinations.