Health officials in Ontario County are on the alert since several cases of whooping cough have been reported. also called pertussis, the potentially serious disease usually starts with cold-like symptoms lasting one to two weeks followed by weeks to months of severe coughing attacks. Ontario County Public Health recently received reports of cases in the county, said Mary Beer, county director of pubic health. All were children who have recovered, she said. the disease is highly contagious and also preventable with a vaccine. it is not uncommon to have a few cases reported in a year, said Beer. even so, it is important to take the illness seriously, Beer said: “it hangs on for a long time. … It’s no fun.” Of particular concern is making sure infants and young children don’t get it, as they don’t have a big lung capacity and are more at risk. Whooping cough is spread from person to person through moist droplets released into the air when a person coughs or sneezes. Babies are not protected against whooping cough because they are too young to be fully vaccinated. Vaccinating people who have contact with infants is vital to protecting the youngsters: that means new fathers, grandparents, siblings, babysitters, healthcare workers and any person who has close contact with an infant. Women not vaccinated prior to pregnancy should be vaccinated as soon as possible after delivery. Dr. Carlos R. Ortiz, Thompson’s senior vice president of medical services, said Thompson has seen a handful of whooping cough cases — mostly in children — in its primary care offices and in its emergency department. None of the cases, as of Friday, had resulted in an inpatient admission. To help prevent the spread of whooping cough, Thompson is providing the Tdap (tetanus/diptheria/pertussis) vaccine to women who have recently delivered newborns in Thompson’s Birthing Center.