Schools

Whooping Cough Exposure At Harry S. Truman Elementary School

School notified parents by letter.

Students at Harry S. Truman Elementary School may have been exposed to pertussis, also known as whooping cough, according to Salisbury Township School District.

Pertussis is a highly contagious disease that is spread through the air when an infected person sneezes or coughs.

Parents of Truman students were notified by letter March 9 and the school district posted a notice on its Web site that students at the school may have been exposed to a case of petussis.

Find out what's happening in Salisburywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Parents were advised of the symptoms, which may seem similar to the common cold in the initial stages--- sneezing, runny nose and a low-grade fever and mild cough, which gradually worsens to a severe cough  or coughing fits,  often followed by a distinctive whooping sound.

Children who have not had all their pertussis vaccinations could be more vulnerable to being infected with the illness, the school said.

Find out what's happening in Salisburywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"If your child has a high chance of getting sick, the doctor can give antibiotics to lower that  chance.  If your child is already sick, giving antibiotics early can help your child get well faster and lower the chances of spreading the disease to others, " the letter said.

More than 100 cases of whooping cough are reported in Pennsylvania each year, mostly in children, according to the Pennsylvania  Department of Health. "Symptoms usually start five to 10 days after exposure to another person with the disease, but may take as long as 20 days to start," the Health Department said.

 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Salisbury