Minnesota health officials have confirmed an infant death related to pertussis, also known as whooping cough. The infant was diagnosed with pertussis in August 2019 and died in November after being hospitalized for three months. The last pediatric death related to pertussis in Minnesota was in 2013. The first symptoms of pertussis are similar to a cold: sneezing, a runny nose, possibly a slight fever, and a cough. After one or two weeks, the cough becomes more severe.