OUTAGAMIE COUNTY, Wis. (WFRV) - Local health officials have been warning Outagamie County residents about a recent spike in pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough, since the beginning of August. A release from the Outagamie County Public Health Division states that there have been seven confirmed cases of whooping cough in Outagamie County since the beginning of August, bringing 2024's confirmed total within the county to eight. Officials say that the last time Outagamie County Public Health received a confirmed case of pertussis was in 2020 when there were four confirmed cases. All of 2024's confirmed cases are children. Wisconsin Department of Health Services monitoring significant increase in Whooping Cough However, pertussis can affect people of all ages and it usually takes five to ten days for symptoms to appear after exposure to the bacteria that causes pertussis. Health officials provided the following initial symptoms to watch out for: Runny nose Sneezing Low-grade fever (between 99.5°F and 100.3°F) Mild occasional cough Symptoms can progress to an uncontrollable, violent cough that makes it hard to breathe. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has received reports of 625 confirmed cases, compared to 51 cases reported in 2023.