Cases of whooping cough on the rise on Whidbey Island

Whidbey Island's outbreak has likely reached its peak, a health officer says. By Sharon Salyer Herald Writer The number of suspected or confirmed cases of whooping cough on Whidbey Island has now hit 65 -- more than twice the number who were ill just two weeks ago. Dr. Roger Case, Island County's health officer, said Tuesday that he hopes that the outbreak is starting to peak. Cases first began being reported in mid-May. Typically, eight or fewer cases are reported each year on the island. Although the number of cases are expected to continue to rise for a while, "I think we're peaking as far as the number of people going to the doctor," he said. "I don't look for the numbers to rise much higher." Most of the cases are clustered in the Coupeville and south Whidbey Island areas, he said. Children have been hit hardest by the... [read full story]