More whooping cough cases in North Carolina prompt warning from school district
An outbreak of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, has one North Carolina school district warning parents about the contagious infection, school officials say.
Three students in Harnett County were recently diagnosed with the bacterial infection, district spokeswoman Natalie Ferrell told McClatchy News.
Western Harnett High School nurse Rebecca Campbell notified parents Monday night, according to The News and Observer’s news partner ABC 11.
“Students who have been directly exposed in class or on the school bus were sent home with a letter explaining what steps to take if they develop symptoms, which include a deep cough which could last for weeks or months,” the station reported.
“Pertussis is a mandated reportable disease in our state which requires notifications and treatment in accordance with local, state, and federal guidelines. We have worked very closely with our local public health officials to relay prompt and accurate information to students, parents, and staff,” Ferrell said in an email.
Whooping cough is a highly contagious lung disease, according to state health officials. It’s spread through sneezing and coughing.
“Pertussis is known for uncontrollable, violent coughing which often makes it hard to breathe. After fits of many coughs, someone with pertussis often needs to take deep breaths that result in a ‘whooping’ sound,” according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.
“Pertussis most commonly affects infants and young children and can be fatal, especially in babies under 1 year of age,” DHHS said.
There have been 386 cases of pertussis in North Carolina over the past year, according to DHHS.
Harnett County is north of Fayetteville. This is the second whooping cough outbreak in as many months in southeast North Carolina.
New Hanover County reported a whooping cough outbreak in areas around Wilmington in November, public health officials said.
Whooping cough can be prevented with the DTaP vaccine, which is required for children to enter North Carolina schools.
An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that there have been 22 cases of pertussis in North Carolina over the past year.
This story was originally published December 11, 2019 at 1:57 PM with the headline "More whooping cough cases in North Carolina prompt warning from school district."
