Health officials in central Ohio recently issued a health alert after they noticed a rise in pertussis, also know as whooping cough.
"We haven't seen the kinds of outbreaks the Columbus area has seen, but we've had seven cases of pertussis in Mahoning County this year, five of them since May," said Mahoning County Commissioner Matthew Stefanak.
In 2009, the number of confirmed whooping cough cases across the state nearly doubled to 1,100, from the previous year.
"It is out there and it's growing in numbers," said Stefanak. "It's probably because immunity wanes after a child finishes his or her baby shots."
To help stop the spread of the disease, starting this school year, students entering the seventh grade must receive a booster shot that protects against whooping cough.
The older children often carry the infection, but it's the infants and toddlers who are most at risk from the symptoms.
"The classic whooping cough is a repeated episode of coughing that's followed by a forced inhalation. That's the whoop of the whooping cough," said Dr. Leroy Eberly of Akron Children's Hospital.
Pertussis often starts off as a typical cold, then it tends to linger. So if you notice they're having a hard time getting over their cold, you may need to take a child back to the doctor to be rechecked.
In some cases, the cough can cause seizures or even death, especially in children under six months old.
The Mahoning County Board of Health will offer a special vaccination clinic for school aged children on July 28.
