Whooping Cough Case Reported at Springs School

One case of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, was recently reported at Springs School, according to a Nov. 12 letter from the Suffolk County Department of Health Services that is posted on the school district's website.

Reached by phone on Monday, Debra Gherardi, the school nurse, said that "the student has already returned to school after five days of medication and everything's great."

Ms. Gherardi said the district received word directly from the Suffolk County Department of Health Services that a student had contracted pertussis, which is "a highly contagious bacterial disease that is spread through the air by cough from an infected individual," according to the letter.

When asked about precautions taken at school to prevent the spread of pertussis, Ms. Gherardi said she and the rest of the faculty and staff regularly remind children to cover their mouths if they cough. "That's a standard here," she said.

According to the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, pertussis can affect people even if they have been vaccinated in the past, because immunity tends to wane over the years. "Up to date vaccination against pertussis, however, remains the best defense to prevent illness. Pertussis disease is particularly dangerous to infants who are not fully immunized," the letter reads.

Symptoms in someone who has been exposed to the airborne bacteria may take up to 21 days to develop, with early symptoms including mild upper respiratory problems and a low-grade fever that mimics a cold. A more detailed list of symptoms and other information about pertussis and its treatment may be found in the letter from the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, posted under the "Important information from the School Nurse" link on the school district's website, springsschool.org.