Zionsville – A confirmed case of whooping cough (pertussis) is being reported at Zionsville High School.
The school notified parents that some students may have been exposed in class or on the bus. They're asking parents to be alert for symptoms. if students are showing symptoms, parents should seek treatment immediately and keep their child at home.
Symptoms usually begin in 7-10 days following exposure, range 4-21 days. the first symptoms of pertussis are those of the common cold with a mild cough. after a week or two, the cough becomes more severe and may occur more frequently during sleep. As the cough gets worse, it usually includes a series of coughs (“coughing fits or spasms”).
People with pertussis may have vomiting following the coughing spell and have difficulty catching their breath, which may cause a whooping sound. However, adolescents, adults and very young infants may not develop the whoop. Generally, there is no fever or a low grade fever with pertussis.
If a doctor prescribes an antibiotic for treatment, the child must stay home until after taking the medicine for five full days. All household members of a suspected case or positive test result should also be given antibiotics for prevention.
Whooping cough can be avoided through immunization. sometimes it will infect immunized children, but symptoms will usually be milder than in unimmunized children.
It is recommmended you check the immunization status of all family members and make sure they are up-to-date for DtaP (a pertussis containing vaccine for persons less than seven years of age) or Tdap (a pertussis booster vaccine for persons 10-64 years of age). your physician or local health department should be able to assist you in determing if vaccination is needed for any of your family members.
Learn more about whooping cough.