The health departments of Flathead, Lake, Confederated SalishKootenai Tribe and Missoula counties issued an alert Tuesday thatpertusiss (whooping cough) continues to  spread along the U.S. 93corridor.

In a press release, the departments reported 12 cases in FlatheadCounty, 14 in Lake County and four in Missoula County. Many caseshave been found in immunized school-aged children.

Although not 100 percent effective, pertussis vaccine remains theprimary means of preventing the illness, according to healthofficials. a highly immunized population increases protection foreach area.

To combat the disease, health officials try to identify cases earlyand  to provide preventative measures to people exposed to thedisease. Patients with pertussis should not go to daycare, school,work or public gatherings until at least five days after starting aprescribed antibiotic.

To prevent illness, health officials say those in close contactwith someone ill with pertussis should start treatment at the sametime as the ill person.This is particularly important for younginfants and other people at high risk for complications from thedisease.

County health officers urge anyone with a cough lasting more thanone week to consult their health care provider. Symptoms varygreatly depending on the patient’s age, vaccination status andstage of pertussis infection.

Infants and children with pertussis may cough violently andrapidly, over and over, until all air vacates their lungs, forcingthem to inhale with a loud “whooping” sound. Extreme coughing canresult in vomiting and exhaustion.

However, infants sometimes exhibit a mild or absent cough as wellas a pause in breathing call apnea. Health officials say manyinfants are infected by a family member or caregiver who is notaware of their infection with pertussis.

Adolescents and adults generally have less severe symptoms, such asa nagging cough. Symptoms appear five to 10 days after exposure butremain up to three weeks.

Health officers ask anyone with suspicious symptoms to stay homeand call his or her health provider since early treatment isimportant. they also urge residents to get vaccinated, especiallyparents, family members and caregivers of young infants.

For additional information about pertussis, contact FlatheadCity-County Health Department at 751-8101, Lake County HealthDepartment at 260-6315 or Confederated Salish Kootenai TribalHealth Department at 883-5541.

I work at a daycare center/private preschool and a lot of our students have behavioral problems. There is a boy who is not directly in my classroom that has a lot of health problems. He is allergic to a lot of things including wheat and dairy products. Besides his allergies, he has a lot of problems when it comes to social behavior. a lot of the staff has been pushing his mother into believing he has autism; however, he does not have a lot of the symptoms for it. He doesn't stim objects, he makes eye contact when you call his name and when he runs out of the room (like a lot of my children do) he'll only run about two feet from the door and waits for someone to notice him.

I have worked with a lot autistic children in the past and I am not an expert or anything, but he doesn't follow any of the classic symptoms. The only thing that he does do is hum a lot. He hums when he's playing by himself or with other children.

Could he possibly have a hearing problem?

This is not medical advice. 1 in 9 children who have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD have an undiagnosed or untreated hearing loss. in addition, autism can be associated with hearing loss. I know of multiple cases that have gone both ways (i.e. child was diagnosed as autistic, was found out to have hearing loss, and child was diagnosed with hearing loss and later diagnosed as autistic as well).

Children with allergies tend to be more congested, and that can create temporary or fluctuating conductive hearing losses of up to 40 dB. Since that's the level of normal conversation, that can be quite significant, especially at the age where they are developing language.

So, it could be any number of things, but a hearing screening can't hurt. They can start with the basic 25 dB test at the pediatricians office (you have to make SURE the kid isn't watching or smart enough to figure out the nurses patterns and "game" the test) and if anything wonky shows up there, follow up with an ENT.

yes hearing impairment can mimick autism. I am a speech language pathologist who works with children with developmental delays and autism. We once had a child get diagnosed with autism. They later found out that he had severe hearing impairment, once he got hearing aids the "autistic" behaviors ceased.

It can….& it works the other way around as well.

My youngest son is severely & profoundly Autistic, yet we thought he couldn't hear for the first three years of his life.

Only doctors who specialize in either hearing problems or in developmental disabilities can make the call on which it is, though.

Ah, ok–the first red flag is the allergies. My little sister has a fatal peanut allergy, and I have worked at several summer camps with children with allergies and other disabilities. this child absolutely does not have autism, nor does he have a hearing impairment. Allergies can greatly affect a child's behavior; he or she becomes frustrated and confused with his or her own body, perceiving it as a threat to itself which, in essence, it is. this is incredibly difficult for any young child to understand. They also are victim to a lot of teasing from other children who do not understand the health issues that the child faces.

My best advice would be to encourage the mother to talk to the child's physician or to take the child to see a therapist. a certified child therapist will be able to help the boy deal with his allergies and understand his body and the emotions he feels.

No. There are many more symptoms of autism and simply having a loss of hearing does not mock those of autism. Autism is more of a social and cognitive issue. Children with autism tend to not make eye contact, play alone, avoid other children, abnormal play, repetative behavior…etc…simply having a hearing loss without other symptoms in my opinion does not comply with an autism diagnosis.

The Autism Spectrum is so broad that many things can mock autism and vice-versa…. if there are concerns/ yellow flags then it is best to test them as soon as possible.

Allergies mock Autism for sure!!! especially Wheat/ Gluten and Dairy… best to check out Jenny McCarthy's Book concerning her son and Gluten/Dairy allergies and how when she controlled her sons diet Autism symptoms lessened.

I'm with you… it could be hearing problems. I was always told that eye contact is the most important. and also if he is wanting attention then that is a good sign he isn't. I worked at a daycare and we were not allowed to point out problems like this to parents. We were told that every child is equal and to not discuss behavorial problems (like this kind, not hitting biting cursing (etc) ) because is isn't are place to say rather or not something like autism is wrong with the child. (Not saying you did or anything to you, it just caught my attention went you said some workers lead his mother to believe he….)

My daughter had to get checked for a hearing problem when she was showing symptoms of autism, the doc said that until 3 or 4 a lot of kids show earmark signs but don't actually have it and that hearing is the main factor there. Have her check with your local area education agency AEA or parents as teachers they will do free evals and get him any help he needs