Whooping cough case diagnosed at Easton Area High School

PALMER TWP., Pa. - An Easton Area High School student has been diagnosed with whooping cough, a highly contagious upper respiratory disease, officials said.

School officials alerted families Wednesday and said the student was under the care of a physician.

Whooping cough, or pertussis, spreads easily from person to person and outbreaks can occur in schools, child care centers and hospitals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The coughing can last for weeks after starting as symptoms like the common cold, the CDC says. Symptoms of whooping cough can develop within five to 10 days of contact with the bacteria that cause it, according to the CDC. The bacteria are found in the nose, mouth and throat of infected people.

Earlier this month, health care providers told LehighValleyNews.com of an increase in respiratory diseases, including whooping cough, in the region. The state Department of Health earlier this month was tracking a whooping cough outbreak in the Stroudsburg area.

At the time, Dr. Jeffrey Jahre of St. Luke’s University Health Network said the resurgence came after mild seasons in years past because of COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

Dr. Jennifer Janco, chair of pediatrics at St. Luke's, said parents should take measures to protect children from contracting whooping cough by getting family members vaccinated with the Tdap vaccine.

They also should contact a primary care doctor before going to a hospital emergency room or urgent care center, and isolating at home while waiting for a diagnosis or after starting antibiotics.

In a message to parents, officials of the Easton Area School District said the state Department of Health recommends immunization against pertussis.

They said Department of Health regulations require any child or staff member diagnosed with pertussis to be kept out of school for three weeks from the start of symptoms, or for five days after starting appropriate antibiotic treatment.

More information is available at the state Department of Health website.