Springboro High School informs of whooping cough case

At least one case of pertussis, otherwise known as whooping cough, has been confirmed at Springboro High School, where health officials are advising parents to monitor their children for symptoms.

The Springboro case is the only case of whooping cough that has been reported so far this year in Warren County, according to the local health department, but the number of cases reported statewide has been on the rise over the past couple of years, based on the latest figures from the Ohio Department of Health.

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There were 1,001 confirmed cases in Ohio last year, according to preliminary figures from ODH, which recorded 798 cases in 2015. Still, the isolated case in Warren County is down from three reported in the county at the same time last year, state figures show.

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“We only have one case now, and we haven’t seen any more cases here than we usually see,” said Diana Glenn, a communicable disease nurse at the Warren County Health Department. “But it’s always good advice for parents to watch out for symptoms, and we also recommend that people stay up to date on their vaccinations.”

Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a bacterial infection. It’s called whooping cough because it’s known for uncontrollable, violent coughing which often makes it hard to breathe, resulting in a “whooping” sound.

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Pertussis can affect people of all ages, but can be very serious, even deadly, for babies less than a year old, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recommends pregnant women receive a vaccine during each pregnancy and that all babies get vaccinated.

There are two kinds of vaccines used today to protect against whooping cough, both of which are combined with vaccines for other diseases: Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP) vaccines Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccines, according to the CDC. DTaP is given to children younger than 7 years old, while Tdap is given to older children and adults.

Peaks in whooping cough are reported about every three-to-five years, according to the CDC, which reported the last nationwide outbreak in 2012. That year, 48,277 cases of pertussis were reported to CDC, including 20 pertussis-related deaths. It was the highest number of reported cases 1955.

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