MOVILLE, Iowa -- Several students at Woodbury Central Community Schools are being treated for pertussis, or whooping cough, and school officials are asking parents to be vigilant to help prevent more infections.
Superintendent Doug Glackin said Thursday that officials learned one of the district's 600 students had a confirmed case of pertussis, or the whooping cough.
As of Tuesday, seven students are receiving antibiotic treatment for the infection, but Glackin said he didn't believe all were confirmed cases. Most of those students were in "upper elementary" grade levels, he said.
"We have seven students that are going through the whooping cough treatment, which is either they are showing symptoms and are being treated with the medication or have been diagnosed with pertussis," Glackin said.
Whooping cough is a highly contagious, airborne bacterial infection that has early symptoms similar to a cold or the flu. After two weeks, sufferers can experience violent coughing fits with the trademark "whoop" as they struggle for breath.
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Woodbury Central is taking precautions similar to what it does to stop the spread of influenza. However, Glackin noted pertussis is most often spread through the air, not transmitted by infected surfaces.
About 10 percent of the school's students have called in sick. Glackin says that's fairly normal for the influenza season.
According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, pertussis is spread by breathing in droplets exhaled, sneezed or coughed by an infected person. Pertussis can be prevented by immunization.
Health officials urge those infected, or living with someone who is infected, to stay home from work or school while taking five days of antibiotic treatment.
According to an Oct. 1 letter mailed to parents, Woodbury Central will excuse absences for children taking the antibiotic treatment. Those absences will also be exempt, or not counted, under the district's semester test policy.
Symptoms
-- The whooping cough starts much like a cold, with sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, a low-grade fever and irritating coughs. The cough can be most annoying at night.
-- After a week, the coughing spells become violent. An infected person may have difficulty breathing and the cough may be, but is not always, followed by the trademark "whoop" as the person inhales. The spells are often followed by gagging or vomiting.
-- The coughing spells may happen months after a person recovers.
Source: Iowa Department of Public Health
