NEGAUNEE -- Almost two months ago, Duane Duray found himself coming down with what he thought was a cold. However, that little tickle and cough got worse until two weeks later, he found out he had pertussis, otherwise, known as whopping cough, a highly contagious bacteria.
"When you go in the coughing episodes, they would last 10 to 15 minutes. You just keep coughing and coughing until you throw up," said Duray.
He says the coughing got so bad, blood vessels in his eye popped.
According to the Michigan Department of Community Health, Duray is just one of the 597 reported whopping cough cases in Michigan.
The Michigan Department of Community Health says since 2010, there has been 1,500 cases.
Whooping cough is highly contagious. If an infant contracts it, it could be fatal.
Health Officer Fred Benzie with the Marquette County Health Department says it's important for people around infants to be vaccinated.
"Infants just can't get enough oxygen in their lungs. They are coughing, they sneeze, they turn blue and eventually expire. So the only way we can protect our infants is to protect them by getting those who are around infants vaccinated," said Benzie.
So what are some of the signs of pertussis? You could have a cough that won't go away, a whooping noise when breathing, vomiting, difficulty breathing, runny nose, fever, and diarrhea.
Officials recommends everyone should get vaccinated. As for Duane, he won't second guess it again.
"If I come down with another cold, I would be quick to follow up with a visit to my physician or clinic just to be tested," Duray said.
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