SAN DIEGO - A 12-year-old student at Roosevelt Middle School in Vista and a 16-year-old student at Torrey Pines High School in Del Mar have been diagnosed with whooping cough, the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency announced Monday.
County health officials were working with the schools to notify parents about the cases of whooping cough.
There have been 116 cases of whooping cough in San Diego County this year, compared to 51 in 2008, according to the HHSA.
Whooping cough can occur at any age, but infants and young children have the highest risk of developing life-threatening complications, the most common of which is pneumonia.
Whooping cough, also called pertussis, usually starts with flu-like symptoms, such as runny nose, sneezing, fever and a mild cough. The symptoms may be mild and brief, or last up to two weeks, but are often followed by severe coughing fits that may be associated with vomiting. Whooping cough is treated with antibiotics.
