Madison high school students diagnosed with whooping cough

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Madison high school students diagnosed with whooping cough

(Published Friday, December 06, 2002 11:42:12 AM CST)

Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. -- Seven Madison West High School students have been diagnosed with whooping cough, and school officials sent notifications to families Thursday hoping to stop the contagious illness from spreading further.

The first case surfaced about three weeks ago, West High nurse Sue Pegg said.

The first five sick students were in the same couple of classrooms, and parents of all students in those classes were notified. But on Thursday, two more students were diagnosed.

"This is pretty darn communicable," Pegg said.

She said the students are responding well to antibiotics.

Whooping cough, or Pertussis, is a bacterial infection. Early symptoms are similar to a common cold. A hacking cough develops a week or two later, Pegg said. The coughing can come in fits, followed by a high-pitch "whoop" as a patient gasps for air.

The illness is most dangerous for infants and the elderly. A vaccine is given to children through age 6 and can wear off in five to 10 years, said Amanda Kita-Yarbro, communicable disease epidemiologist with the city Public Health Department.

Kita-Yarbro said the Health Department issued an alert to Madison hospitals and clinics to watch for the disease. There were nine cases of the illness in Madison in 2001, she said, and between 12 and 15 so far this year.
 

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