Health alert goes out to students

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2011

By Karissa Erven

Of the 40,000 annual cases reported in the nation, only 20 percent of those cases proved fatal. (Photo by Ryann Heinlen)
Of the 40,000 annual cases reported in the nation, only 20 percent of those cases proved fatal. (Illustration by          Ryann Heinlen)

According to the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD), a student at Coronado was identified to have pertussis (whooping cough). Students received a letter on January 13 warning about the infection, symptoms and solutions to the sickness.

“I did read the letter, but I’m not worried because I have all my shots for it, and I don’t know the student that has it,” Kaylee Goss, freshman, said.

Pertussis is commonly found in younger children, but can still affect older children and adults that have not been vaccinated against it. It is a mild disease in older children, but can be complicated by pneumonia and occasionally inflammation of the brain toward younger children.

“I wasn’t surprised to hear a student had pertussis. It does happen, and students get ill. We just need to be careful,” Ms. Austin, math teacher, said.

The vaccine for pertussis, known as DTaP, is usually given at two, four, six, and 12 months of age. Children 11 to 18 years of age should receive the TDaP in place of the tetanus and diphtheria vaccine.

“I’m not worried about it, and I don’t think kids should be either. It’s a rare case, so I don’t think it’s anything to be worried about,” Austin said.

The symptoms of pertussis happen in stages. Stage one usually consists of a runny nose, sneezing, a low fever, and a cough that lasts one to two weeks and progressively gets worse. During the second stage, one would have uncontrollable coughing spells that are followed by a whooping sound when they breathe in.

If someone has been diagnosed with pertussis then they should contact the SNHD Office of Epidemiology (702-759-1300). Keep the child home from school until HCP and a SNHD staff member authorizes that it is safe to return to school.