Health officials report cases of pertussis, or "whooping cough," are on the rise in North Texas.
A spokeswoman for the Plano Independent School District said Monday that two students at Clark High School were diagnosed with the contagious disease last week, and local clinics have confirmed an increase in cases as well.
Dr. Russ McDonald, of Pediatrics After Hours in Plano, said the infection starts off with symptoms similar to a cold but can quickly worsen over time, damaging an individual's airway or trachea.
"Over the next week or two you start coughing more and more, maybe developing the 'whoop' and at that point you have the full-blown disease," McDonald said.
"Once you get it, it is weeks and weeks of coughing. For young babies that can be dangerous. They can gag, choke, turn blue and stop breathing," he said.
Currently, there are more than 1,000 confirmed cases of whooping cough in Texas.
McDonald said the best way to prevent contracting the infection is to get a vaccination.
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He said several adults received a vaccination as a child, but it wears off over time and they should ask a doctor about receiving a booster.
He said if a person suspects whooping cough they should go to the doctor immediately and get a swab test. If it comes back positive, McDonald said anyone in contact with that person should be treated with medicine immediately.
"Grandparents, brothers, sisters, other members of the family they are around, and all of their contacts at school, so hopefully we don't have a full-blown epidemic," he said.
