Wisconsin
Whopping Cough Cases Spike In Wisconsin
MADISON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Health officials are urging the public to get vaccinated amid a “significant increase” in pertussis cases in Wisconsin.
The state as a whole, including right here in Northeast Wisconsin, is continuing to see an alarming rise in cases of pertussis, also known as whopping cough. Since January 1, two-thirds of Wisconsin counties have reported at least one case.
So far this year, Wisconsin has already reported 625 cases of the disease. That’s 12 times more than what was seen all of last year — only 51 total.
The state Department of Health Services says this number actually compares to some pre-pandemic years, where high numbers of cases were reported. Officials say the disease is cyclical — so it’s not completely uncommon for some years to have higher numbers than others.
More than half of this year’s cases involve kids ages 11 to 18. Health officials say anyone at any age can get the disease, but it’s especially dangerous for infants and pregnant women.
It’s common to see such high numbers of the disease simply because whooping cough is so contagious.
“The other piece is that pertussis is quite infectious, in that you’re infectious before you start coughing for about a week, and 21 days after you start coughing, if you don’t get on the appropriate antibiotics. So people with the disease can really spread it for a long period of time,” warned Dr. Stephanie Schauer, manager of the Wisconsin Immunization Project.
Dr. Schauer says typically, children are vaccinated for the disease as infants and then again at the age of 11 or 12 — and that provides enough protection for a lifetime. But she also acknowledges that protection from the vaccine does wane over time — and that could be a contributing factor in this year’s high number of cases.
Pregnant woman can also get boosters, as they’re more at risk.
Early symptoms include a runny nose, sneezing, occasional cough and a low-grade fever. Later symptoms include:
Fits of violent coughs that may be followed by a deep breath that make a “whoop” sound and/or make it hard to breathe
Vomiting during or after coughing fits
Exhaustion after coughing fits
If you or your child develop symptoms of pertussis, or if you’ve been exposed to someone you suspect may have pertussis, health officials say you should stay home from school, work, church and other activities. You should also contact your medical provider to ensure you receive proper treatment.
Experts say vaccination is the best way to prevent a pertussis infection. The DTaP (young children) and TDaP (teens and adults) vaccines protect against Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis.
To see if your child is up to date, visit the Wisconsin Immunization Registry or contact your medical provider.
WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW/GRAY NEWS) – A ransomware group has claimed to have breached the learning management system Canvas, possibly exposing the personal information of students, teachers and staff across the country.
According to a statement from the Universities of Wisconsin website, they were notified of a nationwide security breach experienced by Instructure, the provider of Canvas. Universities of Wisconsin schools use the cloud-based management system.
UW-Stevens Point tells NewsChannel 7 they have not confirmed UWSP was involved in the breach, but did send communication that Canvas was down and students should not perform any asked actions if prompted, as it may not be legitimate while Canvas is down.
Instructure, the parent company of Canvas, posted on May 1 about a cybersecurity incident that had been reported and was under investigation.
The next day, Chief Information Security Officer Steve Proud wrote that the information involved in the attack included names, student ID numbers, messages between users and email addresses.
“At this time, we have found no evidence that passwords, dates of birth, government identifiers, or financial information were involved. If that changes, we will notify any impacted institutions,” he wrote.
The Wausau School District sent a letter to parents Wednesday regarding the cybersecurity incident. They said there is no evidence that passwords, single-sign-on credentials, financial information or social security numbers were impacted. They stressed that type of information is not stored in Canvas.
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(WLUK) — The Wisconsin-Notre Dame game at Lambeau Field will be under the lights.
Kickoff will be at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 6.
The matchup, originally scheduled for Oct. 3, 2020, was rescheduled for 2026 after the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the 2020 football season.
The Badgers took on the Fighting Irish at Soldier Field in Chicago in 2021 as part of the Shamrock Series, the neutral-site non-conference series between the two programs. Notre Dame claimed the first game of the series 41-13.
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Wisconsin last played at Lambeau Field in 2016 and scored a 16-14 win over No. 5 LSU.
Wisconsin
DHS urges Wisconsin ‘sanctuary’ county to keep illegal immigrant accused in elderly sexual assaults jailed
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The Department of Homeland Security is urging “sanctuary politicians in Wisconsin” not to release a Nicaraguan national who was arrested after being accused of sexually assaulting an elderly victim, according to a statement Wednesday.
Julio Cesar Morales-Jarquin, 31, is in local police custody after being charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault of an elderly victim, DHS said.
He was arrested last month after a residential care facility in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, reported to police that an employee may have assaulted vulnerable residents, according to local outlet WKOW.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a detainer request on April 27 asking that Morales-Jarquin remain in custody.
ICE ARRESTS ALLEGED CHILD SEX OFFENDER RELEASED UNDER CONNECTICUT SANCTUARY LAWS
Julio Cesar Morales-Jarquin, 31, is accused of sexually assaulting an elderly victim at a Wisconsin care facility, according to authorities. (Department of Homeland Security)
DHS on Wednesday called on Dane County officials not to release Morales-Jarquin, accusing the county of being a “sanctuary jurisdiction” that refuses to honor ICE detainers.
The agency said the county has previously given ICE as little as 30 minutes to take custody of individuals in its jail.
DHS BLASTS MINNESOTA BOARD FOR UNANIMOUSLY PARDONING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CONVICTED OF 3 ASSAULTS
The Department of Homeland Security logo. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
According to DHS, Morales-Jarquin entered the United States in 2023 under the Biden administration’s humanitarian parole program for Nicaragua. Although the program was later ended, DHS said he remained in the country unlawfully.
“This illegal alien is charged with two counts of sexual assault of an elderly victim at an assisted living facility,” Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in the DHS statement. “This dirtbag was released into the country by the Biden Administration. DHS is calling on sanctuary politicians in Dane County, Wisconsin to NOT release this criminal from jail back onto the streets to commit more crimes.”
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The Wisconsin State Capitol, in Madison, Wisconsin, houses both chambers of the Wisconsin legislature along with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Office of the Governor. (Jordan McAlister)
“We need Wisconsin sanctuary politicians to cooperate with us to remove criminals from our country,” she added.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Dane County Executive’s Office for comment.
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