HOULTON, Maine — A confirmed case of whooping cough in a student at Houlton Southside School has sparked school officials to notify parents and the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is an illness that is spread from person to person through coughing and sneezing, according to the material sent home to parents. Pertussis usually begins with symptoms of a common cold (sore throat and runny nose) and often develops into a severe cough after a few weeks.
The cough can last for several weeks or more. Most children are vaccinated against pertussis, but it is still possible for vaccinated children to become ill. Babies are most at risk of serious illness. The illness is spread through droplets in the air from an infected person. A person may catch pertussis by standing less than three feet away from an infected person when that person coughs or sneezes.
Hammer said he knew of only two confirmed case of pertussis. One case was at HSS and the other was at Wellington Elementary School.
“For something like whooping cough, where students may not be vaccinated, you have to exercise caution,” Hammer said. “They (Maine CDC) may not do anything or they may just tell you to let people know, which is what we already had done.”
To prevent the spread of pertussis in the community, the district recommended the following.
• If your child has a severe cough (may include coughing to the point of gagging, vomiting after coughing or difficulty breathing) or a prolonged cough lasting two weeks or longer, take your child home and contact your health care provider. If the provider suspects pertussis, they will obtain a specimen to be sent for pertussis testing.
• Children/adults with severe cough, prolonged cough or confirmed pertussis will be started on antibiotics and will need to remain at home for five days while taking these antibiotics.
• Check with your medical provider to be sure you and your child are up-to-date on pertussis vaccine. Most children have had the vaccine before the age of seven, but their immunity to the disease may gradually wane over time. Booster shots (Tdap) are now recommended for children 11-18 years old. A single Tdap shot is also recommended for adults, especially adults who have contact with infants and young children.
For more information, contact school nurses Harmony Beaton, RN at 532-2285, habeaton@rsu29.org, Holly Hodgkins RN at 538-3815, hohodgkins@rsu29.org, or the Maine CDC at 1-800-821-5821.
