Whooping cough cases on the rise in Hill County

As of Sept. 10, there have been three confirmed cases of pertussi, commonly called whooping cough, reported in Hill County, and as of Sept. 5, there have been 275 confirmed cases in Montana.

The Hill County Health Department wants people to know how to best protect themselves and family from pertussis.

Pertussis is a contagious disease that affects the upper respiratory tract — throat and lungs — of those it attacks. Pertussis can occur at any age but is one of the most deadly diseases of infants and young children of this era and is highly contagious.

The first step that must be...