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Whooping cough exposure at MSU event

By Scott Pohl, WKAR

EAST LANSING, MI –

The Ingham County Health Department reports that a child who recently attended Grandparents University at MSU has since been diagnosed with pertussis, or whooping cough.

Officials say about 900 people may have been exposed to the highly contagious disease.

The Michigan Department of Community Health has been given a list of people who attended Grandparents University. Local health departments are informing those who may have been exposed regarding their immunization status. Those at risk can transmit the disease to others who are unprotected.

Some may be advised to begin a course of antibiotics.

Whooping cough produces a painful, hacking cough that can last up to six weeks. It can be fatal to infants. Those under one year of age are at a greater risk, because they cannot be immunized.

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