Whooping Cough Continues to Spread in Area Schools

More students were sent home from school this past week with whooping cough. 

The McHenry County Department of Health reported late Friday afternoon that there are 31 confirmed cases of whooping cough among students at area schools, including one case at .

The following schools have confirmed cases:

• in Cary has 24 confirmed cases
• in Crystal Lake has two confirmed cases
• in Cary has two cases
• in Cary has one case
•  in Cary has one case

There were nine cases of whooping cough reported in 2010 in McHenry County and 51 cases in 2009, according to the release. 

Tips for Preventing Spread of Whooping Cough

The health department offers these tips to prevent the spread of whooping cough: 

• Wash hands frequently.
• Practice respiratory hygiene by covering your mouth, coughing into tissues and disposing of tissues properly.
• Stay home if sick.
• Students who are receiving antibiotics need to stay at home for five days to complete the treatment. Returning to school earlier could cause the spread of whooping cough. 

What Is Whooping Cough? 

The McHenry County Department of Health provides the following information on pertussis:

Pertussis is a contagious bacterial infection that causes a range of illnesses, from mild cough to severe disease.

It is spread easily from person to person through coughing and sneezing. Symptoms of pertussis may appear five to 10 days after exposure but can take as long as 21 days to appear. 

The first symptoms are similar to those of a common cold — runny nose, sneezing, low-grade fever and a mild, occasional nonproductive cough. 

The cough gradually becomes severe and, after one to two weeks, an individual will have bursts of numerous, rapid coughs with a distinctive “whooping” sound. While it can be mild in some persons, it poses a greater risk for infants who are not fully immunized (until 4 to 6 years old), immune-compromised individuals, and older persons.

If you share a household with these persons, consider getting the vaccination.

If you or your child have symptoms or questions on whether the vaccine is needed, contact your physician.

Persons with pertussis should be excluded from school, work or other group settings until they receive appropriate evaluation and treatment.

Parents should be sure to keep children up to date with recommended pertussis vaccinations; an adolescent/adult pertussis booster vaccine (Tdap) should be given to those ages 11 to 18 before entering high school.