According to Mariposa County Public Health Officer Dr. Charles Mosher, two confirmed cases of whooping cough have been reported to the health department. They are the first cases in the county this year.

California is currently experiencing an epidemic of whopping cough, with four times as many cases so far as were reported last year at this time.

Anyone can become ill with whooping cough, adults as well as children. While adults can be miserable with a cought that persists for over two weeks, often severe enough to cause gagging or vomiting, it is infants under six months who can die from the disease.

For a full story on the disease, see the July 8 edition of the Mariposa Gazette.