Campers warned of whooping cough

The Spokane Regional Health District is contacting the families of young people who attended the Pinecroft Christian Camps near Newport, Wash., July 11-17 after a counselor there was diagnosed with whooping cough.

The counselor’s diagnosis was confirmed by a lab test Wednesday.

The health district is contacting 13 campers from this area. Other health districts are contacting another dozen campers from elsewhere in the Northwest and Colorado. Families are being advised to get the campers on preventive antibiotics.

It is one of six recent cases of whooping cough in Spokane County. Among those, two infants were hospitalized, but are recovering, said Dr. Kim Thorburn, of the health district.

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, can be fatal and most seriously affects infants. Vaccination for whooping cough is recommended at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 months and later during childhood. Whooping cough is a bacterial infection spread through coughing and sneezing.