Schools

Case of Whooping Cough Confirmed At Shorewood High School

The highly contagious infection, that has been confirmed in Milwaukee, Mequon and Waukesha County school districts, finds its way into the high school.

Local health department and school officials confirmed a Shorewood High School student was diagnosed with whooping cough last week.

North Shore Health Department Director Jamie Berg said they confirmed the case of whooping cough on Thursday and worked with the district to send out a letter to parents.

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is highly contagious, and cases have recently been confirmed in Mequon, Milwaukee and Waukesha County. The health department, which serves seven North Shore communities, also confirmed two cases in Glendale in November and one case in Whitefish Bay in December.

Find out what's happening in Shorewoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Whooping cough is characterized by a persistent cough, runny nose and low-grade fever. It's spread through the air by coughing.

β€œThe important thing is that if a child has the symptoms to visit their doctor and asked to be tested for pertussis,” Berg said.

Find out what's happening in Shorewoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Berg added if diagnosed, antibiotic will be prescribed and the patient advised to stay home for five days while completing the treatment.

There is generally no fever. People with pertussis may have a series of coughs followed by vomiting, turning blue, or difficulty catching their breath. The cough is worse at night and cough medicines usually don’t help alleviate the cough.

Whooping cough vaccines are available at hospitals and at the North Shore Health Department, but vaccines are not available to babies under six months of age. If a young baby is infected, it could cause death.

For those interested in receiving a pertussis vaccine, contact your local hospital or call North Shore Health Department at (414) 371-2980 to make an appointment.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Shorewood