by Brandon Hartman
BELL COUNTY - More cases of whooping cough have been confirmed in the Bell County area.
As of Monday, there are 14 confirmed cases in both Belton and Temple, with eight probable cases that have yet to be confirmed. The health department is expecting more cases to surface.
While the cases are, for the most part, not connected, it is still vital to recognize symptoms early. Early symptoms can include:
Runny nose
Nasal congestion
Sneezing
Red, watery eyes
A mild fever
Dry cough
As symptoms worsen you may suffer from prolonged coughing attacks, fatigue and a high pitched "whoop" sound when drawing your next breath of air. Parents should be careful to not mistake symptoms for the flu.
For more information you can go to http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/whooping-cough/DS00445/DSECTION=symptoms.
