ALEXANDRIA, La. -- It's not a disease that often commands attention, but whooping cough is making a comeback in Louisiana.

State health officials say there has been a resurgence in whooping cough cases in Louisiana this year, with 45 cases reported as of the end of September after falling in recent years to as few a 15 cases per year.

There have been few reported cases of whooping cough in Louisiana, but people should be mindful of symptoms, said Dr. David Holcombe, medical director for the Department of Health and Hospital's Region 6, which encompasses central Louisiana.

There have been cases in Natchitoches and in Opelousas, another doctor said.

Most people are vaccinated for the disease at an early age, Holcombe said, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are

protected.

"What happens with adults is that the vaccination can drift off a bit over time, and they can get it and carry it without even getting sick," Holcombe said. "It takes younger children a while to build up immunity to it after they are vaccinated."

Immunization requires three shots: at 2, 4 and 6 months of age.

Holcombe said symptoms can often resemble those of a small cold, runny nose and fever and can be as severe as apnea -- or the inability to breath.

Whooping cough is an acute bacterial disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis that is often characterized by violent coughing and a high-pitched intake of breath that sounds like a "whoop."

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control report other symptoms include spasms, pneumonia, seizures, malnutrition and vomiting. The disease isn't usually fatal, but the CDC reports there are 5,000 to 7,000 deaths from the disease in the United States each year.

The CDC reports that most who die from whooping cough are young children who were never vaccinated for the disease.

Dr. Jose Quitain, a pediatric physician at Rapides Regional Medical Center, said he has treated two infants, ages 1 month and 3 months, this year who had whooping cough. He said one of the children lived in Opelousas and was brought to Alexandria during Hurricane Gustav, and the other lived in Natchitoches.

Neither case was fatal.

Quitain said the disease occurs more than is reported and often goes unreported because whooping cough is usually mistaken as being a cold.

"I think that we have had it before, but it takes several days to diagnose," he said. "Most older kids will get well before results can come back."

Health officials are urging people who have symptoms of the disease to get checked by a doctor for whooping cough before they spread it to others or the disease gets more serious.

The disease is usually treated with an antibiotic, and residents can get vaccinated for whooping cough and several other illnesses at their parish health unit for $10, regardless of age or insurance status.

------

Information from: Alexandria Daily Town Talk, http://www.thetowntalk.com

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)