Health officials throughout Michigan are warning adults that a nagging cough that seems minor to them could prove deadly to infants and children.
The Times Herald reports that officials are urging adults who deal with children to get a booster vaccine for whooping cough to prevent the disease from spreading.
The Michigan Department of Community Health says 595 cases have been reported statewide since January, and 902 cases were reported throughout last year. That compares with about 330 cases a year on average between 2003 and 2008.
Whooping cough goes largely undetected in adults because its symptoms are similar to those of the common cold. But children -- especially those too young to have received a vaccination -- are particularly vulnerable to the disease.
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