Whooping Cough in WSSD

Eight cases of pertussis have been confirmed in the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District since the beginning of the school year, according to Superintendent Lisa Palmer. The diagnosed students have been from Swarthmore-Rutledge School, Strath Haven Middle School, and Strath Haven High School. The highly contagious disease, which affects the lungs, is commonly known as whooping cough because of the sound sufferers sometimes make after a long fit of coughing.

“Because we vaccinate and are all up to date, pertussis wasn’t even on my radar when my high schooler brought home what I believed to be a typical cold and cough,” says Erin Bronchetti of Swarthmore, who has five children at four different schools. “Apparently, it wasn’t on our pediatricians’ radar, either, because they treated him for a sinus infection and asthma flare without ever testing for it.” But when her son’s coughing got worse, she took him to the emergency room at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where he was quickly diagnosed and treated.

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The school district has been working closely with the Pennsylvania Department of Health to control the outbreak, Supt. Palmer said, and all of the affected children have received medical care. Although the disease is generally spread through the air when people cough or sneeze, the schools are using a disinfectant known to be effective against pertussis as an extra precaution. Health department regulations require infected students and staff to stay out of school for three weeks, or for five days after beginning treatment with antibiotics.

Diagnosis and Prevention

In its early stages, pertussis has the same symptoms as a cold: runny nose, coughing, and mild fever according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More distinctive symptoms like prolonged coughing fits, vomiting, and the “whoop” do not usually show up for one to two weeks. Diagnosis can be confirmed by a laboratory test. Household members of people diagnosed with pertussis may also be advised to be treated. The disease is particularly dangerous for babies under one year of age. Click here for more information.

The best way to prevent whooping cough is to make sure everyone gets their shots on time. Like many immunizations, the shot for pertussis needs to be repeated at intervals throughout childhood.