Lexington high school sees city’s first case of whooping cough of the school year
Lexington’s first confirmed case of pertussis, or whooping cough, of the school year has been reported at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School.
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department alerted parents to the case Monday and urged anyone with symptoms of pertussis to stay home from school and see a doctor, even if they’ve been vaccinated. Anyone who is found to have pertussis is asked to stay out of school until they complete their antibiotics, according to the health department.
The case at Dunbar High School is Lexington’s seventh confirmed case of the illness in the 2019 calendar year, according to the health department.
The health department is advising high-risk students who may have been exposed to the highly contagious respiratory illness to take preventative antibiotics. High-risk people include those with chronic illness or weakened immune systems, as well as those who have a family member who has a chronic illness or weakened immune system. Anyone with family members who are pregnant or infants are also considered high-risk.
Early symptoms of whooping cough include runny nose, sneezing, low-grade fever and coughing, according to the health department. A week or two into the illness, a person can get uncontrollable, violent coughing fits that make it temporarily impossible to breath.
“When finally able to breathe, the person might take a sudden gasp of air, which can cause a ‘whooping’ sound,” according to the health department. “Vomiting and exhaustion can often follow a coughing spell.”
School children are required to have a pertussis vaccination, and a booster is recommended for children who are 11 years old or older, according to the health department.
Adults or teens who have not had the booster vaccine can call their health provider or the health department at 859-288-2483 to check availability.
The health department can also be reached at 859-288-2437.
This story was originally published September 30, 2019 at 5:36 PM.