Springs Student Reported Having Whooping Cough

A student recently reported having pertussis, or whooping cough, at Springs School in East Hampton, according to a letter from the Suffolk County Department of Health Services posted on the school district’s website.

According to the letter, dated Nov. 12, whooping cough is a respiratory illness which is a highly contagious bacterial disease that is spread through the air by cough from an infected individual.

Children and adults may still develop the disease even if they are up to date with their vaccination and is particularly dangerous to infants who are not fully immunized.

It could take up to 21 days for symptoms to develop once a person is exposed to the disease.

The student who contracted the diseases has returned after taking medication for five days and “everything’s great,” Debra Gherardi, the school nurse, told The East Hampton Star.

If it is suspected that a child has pertussis, the child should remain home until he/she has completed five days of his/her antibiotic treatment, according to the letter.

For more information, visit the school’s website at: http://springsschool.org or the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at: http://www.cdc.gov/.