Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Advisory

Published December 11, 2015 | Board of Health | Automatically Archived on 12/26/2015

This Post has been archived and its content might be outdated. If you are looking for recent content, please check this Committee's Homepage.

There are 2 confirmed cases of Pertussis at Lincoln Sudbury High School. Pertussis (also called whooping cough) is a disease caused by bacteria that spreads from person to person with close contact (the germ is present in respiratory secretions). The Sudbury Health Department along with Massachusetts Department of Public Health are working together with the Health Office at the Lincoln-Sudbury High School to advise parents and students of the potential exposure and treatment.

Parents and guardians should be aware of the signs and symptoms of pertussis. If your child has symptoms (like a prolonged cough, with uncontrolled bouts of coughing), medical evaluation and testing is recommended and five days of antibiotic treatment may be prescribed. If your child is symptomatic, please contact your health care provider for further evaluation and notify the Lincoln-Sudbury High School Health Office. Currently the high school is under “cough surveillance” to help identify potential new cases.

Please contact the LS High School Health Office at (978) 443-9961 ext. 2390, the Sudbury Board of Health (978) 440-5477, or the Massachusetts Department of Public Health at (617) 983-6800 to obtain more information.

Attachments