Health department investigating reported case of whooping cough at Statesville HS

STATESVILLE, N.C. — Iredell-Statesville Schools is working with the county’s health department after a student at Statesville High School was reported to have pertussis.

In a letter sent to parents, school leaders said they were working to identify students who may have been exposed to the student. If someone has been in close contact, the school said parents will be notified in a separate letter.

The student has finished a treatment for whooping cough and proper protocol has been followed, according to officials.

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory illness and it can last up to 10 weeks if it isn’t treated. It is not always on the radar of doctors because it can be mistaken for a cold, bronchitis or reflux.

There is a vaccine for the disease, but in recent decades, the illness has been making a comeback.

Hundreds of people get whooping cough each year in North Carolina and it is easily spread from person-to-person by coughing or sneezing.

One mother who spoke with Channel 9′s Dave Faherty said she doesn’t take chances when her daughter gets sick and wishes others wouldn’t either.

“All the parents that are sending their kids to school sick, keep your kids home and keep your kids well to prevent other kids from getting sick,” Portia Hood said.

Whooping cough: Know the signs

Whooping cough starts like the common cold, with a runny nose or congestion, sneezing, and maybe a mild cough or fever. But after one to two weeks, severe coughing can begin and can include many rapid coughs followed by a high-pitched “whoop” sound.

“Typically when we go to treat it, it is a cough that has been going on for three weeks and it’s got this really sporadic cough,” physician’s assistant Kristen Vestigo said. “People say they can hear the ‘whoop’ and that’s when they take a breath and you hear this ‘whooping’ sound.”

It’s important to note not everyone with pertussis will cough and many who cough will not “whoop.” Babies may not cough at all though. Instead, they have trouble breathing.

Experts say the best protection against whooping cough is getting the vaccination and making sure your family’s vaccinations are up-to-date.

No other information has been released.

Check back with wsoctv.com for more information.

What You Need to Know: Whooping Cough What You Need to Know: Whooping Cough

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