Whooping Cough Hits Chippewa Valley News | August 28, 2024 | 0 | by Morgan McCarthy Whooping cough is making its way through the Chippewa Valley. The Eau Claire City-County Health Department says several cases have been identified in the county. The illness can cause coughing that lasts weeks or months. Whooping cough is on the rise this year in Wisconsin statewide — more than 275 confirmed cases of the highly-contagious illness are reported so far this year compared to 51 last year.