Beaver Dam Unified School District Student Health Services

Kristin Chitko RN, BSN, Nicole Scharfenberg RN, BSN

& Louise Wilson RN, BSN, MS, NCSN

Health Services Supervisors

Health Bulletin Pertussis

1/6/12

A case of pertussis (whooping cough) has been identified in a child who attends classes in the

Beaver Dam Middle School. Teachers and other students may have been exposed to this person

during the contagious stage of the disease. Therefore, we want to call this to your attention and

alert you to the signs and symptoms of pertussis. This information is provided to you not to

alarm you but as a source of information.

Pertussis or whooping cough is an infection of the throat and nose, which is caused by a bacteria (germ).

The disease is most serious for children under 6 months of age. It occurs most often in children under 5

years of age. The illness begins with cold-like symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, and a cough that

becomes more persistent. The cough gets much worse within 1-3 weeks after the first symptoms. In

some cases the cough will be bad enough to cause a “whooping” sound when the person breathes in. The

coughing may be so severe that it causes vomiting. The cough might last for 1-2 months. However,

older children and adults and very young infants may not develop the whoop. There is

generally no fever.

A person can catch pertussis if they have been in close contact with an individual who is sick with

pertussis. The germs are in the sick person’s nose and throat, so coughing and sneezing spreads the

germs into the air. These germs can also be on things on which the sick person has coughed or sneezed.

Family members and household contact are at most risk for catching pertussis.

Usually a person will get sick with pertussis within 7-10 days after they first had contact with an infected

individual. Sometimes it may take up to 21 days after that contact. An infected person can spread the

disease when they begin to have the cold-like symptoms. In fact they are most contagious before they

begin having a cough. If a person is not treated with antibiotics, they will continue to be able to spread

the disease for 3 weeks after the severe coughing begins. If they are treated with antibiotics they will

stop being able to spread the disease after 5-7 days of taking the medication. Antibiotics are given to

shorten the time that the disease can be spread. It generally does not shorten the time that the person is

sick.

Young children and those who have not been immunized or have not completed their immunizations are

most at risk of developing the disease. Adolescents and adults whose immunity may have waned can be

at risk of developing a milder form and therefore may not know they are infected with the pertussis

bacteria. Most middle school students have received a booster dose of (Tdap) vaccine for pertussis when

they entered 6th grade.

***If your child develops cold or flu-like symptoms keep them at home and away from other

people. If they develop a moderate to severe cough please keep them home and contact your

health care provider. Inform your health care provider that they MAY have been in contact with

a person with pertussis. If your child is diagnosed with pertussis keep them home (and away from

other people) until they have been on antibiotics for 5-7 days. Cases or suspect cases must be

reported to local public health authorities. ***

If you have any questions please contact Dodge County Public Health Department (920) 386-3673,

your family healthcare provider, or Louise Wilson RN, MS, NCSN Health Services Supervisor (885-

7525 ext. 1138).