East Penn students in elementary, middle and high schools have been diagnosed with pertussis, or whooping cough, the district informed parents in a letter Thursday.
The letters were sent to the parents of students at Emmaus High School, Lower Macungie Middle School, and Wescosville and Shoemaker elementary schools. They noted that a student in the school was diagnosed with pertussis and was under a physician’s care.
“At this time, there is not an ongoing public health threat,” said Brittany Lauffer, a spokeswoman for the state Health Department.
Pertussis is a very contagious disease of the lungs and airways. Early symptoms include a runny nose, sneezing, low-grade fever and mild cough. The cough becomes severe over time.
The disease could lead to pneumonia, dehydration, seizures, brain damage from lack of oxygen, or death, according to the Health Department. Infants younger than 6 months old are most likely to get the severe symptoms.
Pertussis can be treated with antibiotics and prevented with vaccines. The state requires any school children or staff members who are suspected of having whooping cough or have a confirmed case be excluded from school or daycare for three weeks from the start of their symptoms or for five days after starting antibiotics.
District spokeswoman Laura Groh said in an email that at least one of the infected students was fully vaccinated.
“Getting the vaccination does not guarantee that they will not get pertussis,” she wrote.
Pertussis vaccines are effective but not perfect, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The from the district letter included recommendations from the Health Department that parents should contact a doctor if their children are coughing frequently or having coughing fits.
Lehigh County has the highest rates of pertussis in the state, according to the Health Department — 30.5 pertussis cases per 100,000 people, according to 2015 to 2017 data posted on the department’s website. Northampton County had a lower rate, at 11.5 cases per 100,000 people.
Morning Call reporter Michelle Merlin can be reached at 610-820-6533 or at mmerlin@mcall.com.