By Lori EhdeA Luverne High School student was diagnosed last week with whooping cough, and parents and local medical professionals are on alert for additional cases."It is very important that you be aware of the signs and symptoms of pertussis," school nurse Deb Vander Kooi wrote in a letter that went home with all students in the district Monday.Because it’s highly contagious for everyone and potentially lethal for infants, Vander Kooi said the Minnesota Health Department is urging precautions.Early symptoms are similar to a common cold — a runny nose, possible low-grade fever and a mild cough. After a week or two, a persistent cough develops."The cough occurs in a burst and may end with a high-pitched whooping sound and sometimes vomiting," the letter states.Vander Kooi said the disease is new to her office."I don’t know if I have ever in my life seen someone with whooping cough," Vander Kooi said.She said the Luverne High School student had symptoms that appeared to be a run-of-the-mill cold.But the student’s mother learned Friday afternoon that the child had tested positive for whooping cough."So I called the Department of Health to find out what their protocol is for something like this," Vander Kooi said.Health officials sent Vander Kooi a form letter to customize with local information and disperse to all students Monday.She also contacted local public health officials and Luverne Medical Center.Dr. Judy Chesley at the clinic said she knew neighboring states and even the Twin Cities metro areas had seen whooping cough outbreaks, so she wasn’t necessarily surprised by the fact that there was a local case."It’s nice to be made aware so you can be a bit more diligent in diagnosing," Chesley said."It’s one of those things the Department of Health takes very seriously. It’s a miserable disease."The pertussis vaccine is administered to children in a series of shots from infancy to preschool. It’s been available at least as far back as the 1950s.Despite Rock County’s high rate of infant vaccinations, the pertussis immunity decreases over time.Chesley said a change in the pertussis vaccine (to lessen children’s reaction to the shot) 10 to 15 years ago may have something to do with the recent recurrence of whooping cough in middle school and high school-age children."I still support vaccination, but I think there will be a decision about booster shots," she said. Even if the local diagnosis doesn’t signify an outbreak, Vander Kooi said that the public needs to be aware whooping cough is in the community."So it’s in the back of your mind if you have the symptoms. ‘Could this be whooping cough?’" Vander Kooi said.Older children and adults can be treated with antibiotics, but the earlier the diagnosis, the more successful the treatment."It’s the infants that get very sick," Vander Kooi said. "They can quickly get bacterial pneumonia."Monday’s letter sent home with students goes on to further describe whooping cough."Between bursts of coughing, the person appears well. Coughing attacks may continue for four to six weeks and are more common at night. Pertussis can lead to pneumonia, particularly in infants.A child with a cough illness of at least seven days, or a child with severe coughing spells, especially vomiting after coughing, should be evaluated by a health care provider."Like flu viruses, pertussis is highly contagious and tends to pass quickly from person to person through coughing and sneezing. Young children are vaccinated against whooping cough with the pertussis vaccine. However, the vaccine is only approved for children younger than 7 years old. Immunity wanes in about 10 years, leaving older individuals more susceptible to the disease. Adults get infected, often to a lesser degree, but they are still able to spread the disease to unimmunized children. People with questions or concerns can call Nobles Rock Public Health, 283-5066, or Luverne Medical Center, 283-4476.Chesley said information can also be found at www.health.state.mn.us/immunize.
