Penns Manor School District has sent a letter home to district parents saying that their child or children may have been exposed to whooping cough at the school.
According to the letter from the district, whooping cough, also known as Pertussis, is spread through the air when an infected person sneezes or coughs. The highly contagious disease starts as cold symptoms that become much worse over a one to two week span and usually include a long line of coughs followed by a whooping noise, but older children, adults, and young infants may not develop the noise that gives the disease its name.
The PA Department of health recommends that parents should contact their doctor if their child or children start coughing, and notify the doctor that the child may have been exposed to a case of pertussis and will need to be evaluated. If the child is diagnosed with pertussis, all members of the household should be treated with antibiotics regardless of their age or vaccination status.
Parents with questions about pertussis should call the PA Health Department at 1-877-PA-HEALTH
