Do I have whooping cough?

I am annoyed by how long I've been sick now. I've had some germ since just after Christmas. Is anyone else going through this?

The timing and symptoms fit the Whooping cough (pertussis) outbreak, but I'm in California, not Michigan where there is an outbreak. Oh, also 14 cases in Minnesota recently. And New Jersey.  And southern Maine. And New Hampshire. And Idaho.

"It's a respiratory illness that basically gives you a cough for 100 days..."

Pertussis, commonly known as "whooping cough," is a highly contagious and potentially serious infection of the respiratory tract is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. ...

Pertussis is treated with antibiotics, usually with erythromycin or azithromycin. Antibiotic treatment is most effective when started early in the course of the illness but does not always alter the disease outcome. However, antibiotics do shorten the infectious period so they are also very important in stopping the spread of pertussis bacteria from the infected person to other people. - medem

I did take a course of azithromycin, and I felt much better for a few days after the 5 day course, but then the cough returned. As this says, I'm probably not very contagious any longer, but the cough still has to run its course. How long will that be?

Pertussis lasts for several weeks or longer. There are usually two weeks of common cold symptoms, followed by two weeks of severe coughing, followed by two weeks of a convalescent period when coughing occurs less often. In some children, the convalescent stage may last for months. - medem

Investigation into the origin of the cases suggests that the current outbreak of whooping cough started before the recent holidays. Whooping cough is a contagious respiratory illness that starts like a cold with a runny nose and sore throat. After seven to 10 days the cold turns into a cough that gradually worsens. The cough will last up to two months. The incidence of whooping cough had declined dramatically with the introduction of the whooping cough vaccine. However, whooping cough outbreaks have grown in number in recent years. People with a persistent cough or people living with a person with a cough should contact their family doctor. The treatment for whooping cough is a course of antibiotics. People are usually not contagious after taking antibiotics for five days. There is also a new vaccine for adolescents and adults for the prevention of whooping cough. - themorn

... Whooping cough usually begins with a cold, runny nose and low-grade fever 10-14 days after exposure to the infection, according to the letter. That's accompanied by a cough that gets worse over a week or two. That's when the "severe coughing spells" begin, which include a long series of coughs and, sometimes, a loud whooping sound. The coughing spells are sometimes followed by gagging, vomiting or difficulty catching breath and often get worse at night. That stage can last anywhere from a week to more than a month. "It makes you quite sick and the cough can last for weeks," Montero said.- nash