Students at Arnold Elementary in Torrance exposed to whooping cough
Parents of fourth-graders at Arnold Elementary School in Torrance were told this week that their children had been exposed to whooping cough, to monitor them for symptoms and ensure they are fully vaccinated.
School officials learned Thursday that a fourth-grade student was infected with pertussis, commonly called whooping cough. They mailed a letter to parents of students who shared classes with the student, warning not to send coughing children to school. Health officials also said to pursue antibiotics if their child had contact with the ill student and has an underlying medical condition or hasn’t had all the recommended vaccines. All school parents were sent similar information in an e-mail Friday.
“If your child has symptoms that include coughing, or your child begins coughing over the next three weeks, please take your child to see his/her doctor,” stated the letter to parents from Dr. Shobita Rajagopalan of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. The infection “can cause serious illness, leading to hospital stays and even death, especially in infants less than 6 months old.”
Infected students must stay home from school and take at least five days of antibiotics before returning, the letter states. Children who don’t take antibiotics must stay out for 21 days if health department officials determine it’s necessary. All children should be given the DTaP vaccine by the age of 7, with older children and adults getting a booster vaccine.
Torrance Unified School District spokeswoman Tammy Khan would not say how long the student may have had the illness before diagnosis, and health department officials did not return calls.
Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial infection that has reached epidemic proportions in California, with 8,278 reported cases statewide this year, according to the health department. Early symptoms mimic the common cold, and outbreaks at schools are common. They progress into coughing attacks marked by choking or loud inhales. Statewide, 8,749 cases have been reported this year.
“The last epidemic in California occurred in 2010, however, the overall incidence of pertussis has increased since the 1990s,” according to a health department statement. “One reason for the increase is the use of acellular pertussis vaccines, which cause fewer reactions than the whole-cell vaccines that preceded them, but do not protect as long.”
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