Allegheny County Health Department reports a rise in Whooping Cough in school-aged children

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The Allegheny County Health Department sent out an alert on its social media pages on Friday saying they have seen an increase in Pertussis, also known as Whooping Cough, in school-age children across the county.

The county health department cautioned that Pertussis can be dangerous for babies, those with weakened immune systems, and children who have not received all recommended vaccinations.

The symptoms could lead to serious complications including apnea, pneumonia, convulsions, or encephalopathy which is a disease in the brain.

It could also lead to needed serious care in the hospital.

Whooping Cough on the rise nationwide

According to the CDC , 4,864 cases have been reported this year. That's about three times higher than this point last year.

The CDC data also shows 601 Whooping Cough cases have been reported in Pennsylvania this year, as of May 25. That's up 456% from the 108 cases over the same time last year.

While most patients do recover from Whooping Cough, one doctor told KDKA that it can become serious for some if left untreated.

"It can be severe, and potentially even life-threatening, particularly for very young kids, infants who are just a few months old, are particularly vulnerable, and for people who are older, age 65 or older, or have existing lung conditions, for example, COPD or moderate or severe asthma," said Dr. Graham Snyder, medical director of UPMC's Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiology.  In these cases, this severe cough can be more than just a bad cough, it can cause people to have low oxygen levels and become seriously ill."

The Allegheny County Health Department encourages parents to make sure their children are vaccinated and they do provide the vaccinations.

More information can be found on their website at this link .