Pertussis Advisory - From Mrs. Reilly

Pertussis Advisory

This is to advise you that there has been a case of whooping cough (pertussis) at the BluffView Intermediate School..  At this time, there are no recommendations for antibiotics among classmates or other students in the school, but parents and guardians should be aware of the signs and symptoms of pertussis. If your child has symptoms or develops symptoms, testing is recommended and five days of antibiotic treatment will be required before being able to return to school.

What is pertussis?                 

Pertussis (also called whooping cough) is a disease caused by bacteria that spreads from person to person with
close contact.  Pertussis is often mild in older children and adults, but can cause serious problems in infants.

Who gets pertussis?              

Pertussis is most common among people who have never been vaccinated, or those who have lost the

 protection they got from childhood vaccines (immunity usually wanes by adolescence), and have not received 

a booster dose of vaccine.  Infants are also likely to get the disease since they are often too young to have full 

protection from the vaccine.

What are the symptoms?      

Pertussis is a cough illness whose symptoms can range from mild to severe.  It usually begins with cold-like

 symptoms, with a runny nose, sneezing and dry cough.  After two weeks of cold-like symptoms, the cough 

slowly gets worse.  The next stage, which may last from four to six weeks, may be marked by coughing spells

 that are uncontrollable and may be followed by vomiting.  Between spells, the person may appear to be well 

and usually there is no fever.  These typical symptoms are more common in infants and young children.  

Vaccinated children, teens and adults may have milder symptoms that can seem like bronchitis. 

How is pertussis spread?        

The germs that cause pertussis live in the nose, mouth and throat and are sprayed into the air when an infected 

person sneezes, coughs or talks.  Other people can then inhale the germs in the droplets produced by the 

person with pertussis.  Touching a tissue or sharing a cup used by someone with the disease can also spread

 the disease.  The first symptoms usually appear 7 to 10 days after a person is exposed, although sometimes 

people do not get sick for up to 21 days after their last exposure.

How is pertussis diagnosed? 

A doctor may think a patient has pertussis based on their symptoms, however, a culture or PCR test can help a 

doctor confirm this. For testing, a swab is taken from the back of the nose.

How can pertussis be prevented?                

Although DTP or DTaP vaccine (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) usually provides adequate protection against pertussis to children, the effects of the vaccine wear off over time, leaving most teens and adults at risk of the disease. However, a vaccine for teens and adults, called Tdap, is recommended to give protection against pertussis in these age groups. Tdap is given as a single “booster” dose. If your child or adolescent (10 years of age or older) has not yet had a dose of Tdap, contact your healthcare provider to discuss receiving this vaccine. If your child is less than 10 years of age, they should be up-to-date with their DTaP series (check with you provider if you are unsure).                                                

Antibiotics are sometimes given to help prevent illness in the contacts of someone with pertussis, or to 

decrease infectiousness in someone with pertussis.  After five days of treatment a case is no longer 

contagious.

What should I do?                 

If your child is symptomatic, he/she should be tested for pertussis by your family’s health care provider and 

must begin antibiotic treatment before returning to school. Please contact your health care provider and bring 

this advisory with you.  

Students who are symptomatic and who have had close contact with a case of pertussis will be excluded from 

school until they have completed 5 days of appropriate antibiotic therapy.

Parents of the PdC School District:

If you have any questions, please call the school nurse, Karen Reilly at 326-3780 or the Crawford County Health Department at 326-0229.