Whooping cough case confirmed at school

A letter warning of a confirmed case of whooping cough went out Friday to parents, staff and students of Vincent Massey Secondary School.

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a “highly contagious infection of the respiratory tract (lungs and throat) that causes a severe cough,” said the letter by Lora Piccinin, manager of infectious disease prevention with the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.

Cold-like symptoms like sneezing, running nose, low-grade fever and a mild occasional cough can worsen after one or two weeks and develop into “explosive coughing that can interrupt breathing, eating and sleeping, and is commonly followed by gagging, vomiting and exhaustion,” the health unit letter warns. The cough can linger for several weeks or months.

The contagious period is up to 20 days from when the symptoms begin, and people of any age can be affected. Anyone who has not been immunized, pregnant women in their third trimester and immunecompromised individuals who have been exposed to pertussis should consult with a health-care provider, the health unit recommends. The pertussis vaccine is given to infants, children and teens. All adults should receive one dose of pertussis vaccine in adulthood. Pertussis gets its other name from the “loud high-pitched crowing or ‘whooping ’ sound indicating a struggle to breathe.” There are an estimated couple of cases annually in the local area, but the health unit has previously warned that there can be cyclical outbreaks with larger numbers affected. For more information call 519-258-2146, ext. 1420. Or visit the health unit online at www.wechu.org.