Another infant has died of whooping cough in Kentucky, becoming the third child to die of the illness in the last 12 months across the state.The first two deaths in the state represented the first whooping cough deaths in Kentucky since 2018.The Kentucky Department for Public Health did not say where the most recent whooping cough death occurred but warned Kentuckians about the rising threat of the illness, also known as pertussis.“We are deeply saddened to learn of another infant death in Kentucky due to pertussis and are concerned by the volume of cases we are seeing throughout the commonwealth,” said Dr. Steven Stack, secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. “We continue to urge Kentuckians to get their whooping cough vaccine and to make sure they are up to date on all other recommended immunizations. Many illnesses can be prevented through vaccination, which helps protect not only the individual but also those around them.” Whooping cough is a highly contagious illness, with symptoms including a runny and congested nose, mild coughing and labored breathing.Symptoms typically start out mild but after one to two weeks, coughs can become more violent and affect a person's ability to breathe.As of Nov. 19, there have been 566 cases of whooping cough identified in Kentucky this year, with children younger than one year old at greater risk.In a news release, Kentucky's health department said, "KDPH (Kentucky Dept. for Public Health) confirmed none of the infants who died of pertussis in Kentucky over the past 12 months had been vaccinated, nor had their mothers."For more information on how people can take steps to protect themselves from whooping cough, click here.

Another infant has died of whooping cough in Kentucky, becoming the third child to die of the illness in the last 12 months across the state.

The first two deaths in the state represented the first whooping cough deaths in Kentucky since 2018.

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The Kentucky Department for Public Health did not say where the most recent whooping cough death occurred but warned Kentuckians about the rising threat of the illness, also known as pertussis.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of another infant death in Kentucky due to pertussis and are concerned by the volume of cases we are seeing throughout the commonwealth,” said Dr. Steven Stack, secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. “We continue to urge Kentuckians to get their whooping cough vaccine and to make sure they are up to date on all other recommended immunizations. Many illnesses can be prevented through vaccination, which helps protect not only the individual but also those around them.”

Whooping cough is a highly contagious illness, with symptoms including a runny and congested nose, mild coughing and labored breathing.

Symptoms typically start out mild but after one to two weeks, coughs can become more violent and affect a person's ability to breathe.

As of Nov. 19, there have been 566 cases of whooping cough identified in Kentucky this year, with children younger than one year old at greater risk.

In a news release, Kentucky's health department said, "KDPH (Kentucky Dept. for Public Health) confirmed none of the infants who died of pertussis in Kentucky over the past 12 months had been vaccinated, nor had their mothers."

For more information on how people can take steps to protect themselves from whooping cough, click here.