Laramie County Parents Urged To Look Out For Whooping Cough

Laramie County School District#1 has sent out a letter to district parents warning that pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, has been reported in the county.

What Is Whooping Cough Or Pertussis?

The letter, written by Kaylyn Friesen, Epidemiologist with the Wyoming Department of Health, includes the following:

''Pertussis, also known as “whooping cough,” is a bacterial disease of the respiratory tract that can be easily transmitted from one person to another. The disease is spread by respiratory

material containing the bacteria from an infected person who sneezes or coughs. Pertussis is most serious in infants and children. Symptoms usually start within 5 to 10 days after exposure to an infected person but may take as long as 21 days.''

The Federal Centers For Disease Control say that babies under the age of 1 are most at risk from pertussis.

Friesen's letter says symptoms of whooping cough "include a cough, sneezing, fever, and a runny nose. Within two weeks, the cough may become more severe with periodic episodes of intense coughing which may be followed by vomiting. These prominent coughing episodes can help distinguish pertussis from a regular cold."

The letter says students who may have whooping cough will be required to stay home from school until either it's found that they don't have pertussis or else that have received antibiotic treatment for at least five days.