Bethlehem High student has whooping cough
District urges parents to check children for symptoms of pertussis
A case of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, has been confirmed in a student at Bethlehem High School.
Superintendent Jody Monroe told parents Tuesday about the unnamed student, who is staying home from school. She is urging parents to check their kids for symptoms which include a persistent cough.
The case was confirmed by the Albany County Health Department, Monroe said.
“The individual diagnosed with pertussis received appropriate medical care and was excluded from school until no longer contagious. People who may have had close contact with this individual are being identified and will be contacted directly,” Monroe said in the note.
A contagious disease, pertussis is spread through respiratory
droplets when someone sneezes, coughs or is in close contact with others.
After one or two weeks, the cough grows worse and can prompt coughing fits that may be followed by vomiting, shortness of breath and fatigue.
The cough is often worse at night and might not be helped by cough medications. These coughing fits can last for many weeks. The illness may be milder and the characteristic whoop absent in those who were previously vaccinated.
The Bethlehem case is the only one confirmed by the Albany County Health Department, said county spokeswoman Mary Rozak.
From 2013 through 2017, between 543 and 899 cases of pertussis per year outside of New York City have been reported to the state Department of Health.
Monroe said a diagnosis calls for treatment and keeping kids home from school to prevent contagion. “Your child cannot return to school/ work/extracurricular activities until five days of antibiotic treatment has been completed or the health department otherwise gives approval,” she said.
“Pertussis can occur in persons who have received childhood vaccinations for this disease because protection decreases over time. This is a good time to make sure you, your child(ren), and other members of your household are up-to-date with immunizations. Your health care provider can help determine whether you should receive this vaccine.”