Whooping cough cases on a rise in Minnesota - Valley News Live - KVLY/KXJB - Fargo/Grand Forks

The numbers are up and it's not a good thing. Ranae Niemi, a nurse with Becker County public health, says whooping cough cases in Minnesota are on a record rise.

 "We're on track in 2012 to exceed 3400 cases. We haven't seen numbers like that since the 1940's," says Niemi. Niemi believes that because of better diagnostic testing, more cases are being reported. "Whooping cough usually begins with a cold but down the road you still have a really harsh cough, sometimes the cough is so harsh it makes you gag or even throw up," says Niemi. Whooping cough doesn't discriminate.

 Cases are showing up in people young and old. That's why those at Becker County health services says it's important to get vaccinated. "What we're really concerned a lot about is pertussis in infants," says Niemi.

The T-DAP is the vaccine given to fight whooping cough. It's a simple shot that Niemi believes will be the simple plan to get whooping cases in Minnesota back on a drop, instead of a rise.

Becker County health officials do recommend that anyone who is experiencing symptoms of whooping cough to cover their mouths and visit a doctor in hopes to keep the bacteria from spreading.