A case of Whooping Cough reported in the Burden school district ? and one reported late last year in Winfield – show the importance of keeping up immunizations for your child, the county’s lead health official says.
In recent weeks, the City-Cowley County Health Department received the report of the most recent case of Whooping Cough ? a bacterial lung infection known also as Pertussis. The person’s name, age and most other information about the case is being withheld due to privacy concerns.
"I think the real opportunity here is to remind everybody that when it comes to vaccine-preventable disease, we’re all in this together," health department director David Brazil said. "It’s important to keep current."
Brazil would say only that the recent case was diagnosed in the Burden area. The Winfield case occurred in late November or December and affected a student.
Both are isolated cases. In order to constitute an outbreak, at least two cases have to occur in the same area, within 42 days of one another. The 42-day window remains open in the Burden case, but thus far no one else has been diagnosed, Brazil said.
Each case requires extensive follow up to identify anyone that might be at risk to contract the illness.
Symptoms of pertussis are similar to a cold and included: runny nose, low-grade fever and a cough. Those who contract the illness are usually contagious for about 21 days, according to information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
