United States: As for the recent events, the administrators of Minnetonka Public Schools have addressed the parents concerning the occurrence of Pertussis, which is also known as whooping cough.
The latest reports have informed the public that several cases of the diseases have been diagnosed in several buildings throughout the district.
More about the news
The district director of Health Services, Annie Lumbar Bendson, stated in a letter to families and staffers: there are multiple examples of students who have been visiting school campus carrying whooping cough symptoms, particularly at Minnetonka High School and West Middle School in recent days.
She also mentioned that few “isolated” cases have come to light at Excelsior and Clear Spring Elementary.
What more has the letter stated?
However, the district did not explicitly mention the count of students who have been diagnosed with the disease.
Bendson wrote down, “We have provided notifications to families at the schools that have been impacted but wanted to be sure to provide a message to the greater school community so that you may be aware of signs and symptoms of pertussis,” as kare11.com reported.
Furthermore, “It is important to note that most of these cases were diagnosed in students who were fully immunized. While routine vaccinations do help to protect against Pertussis, they are not foolproof. They can, however, reduce the severity and length of illness,” She added.
Rules by officials for the disease
The transmission of Pertussis is usually said to occur through coughing and sneezing. Therefore, the district policy strictly asks students to stay away from school for at least five days until antibiotics help eliminate the bacterial infection.
Moreover, as per the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Pertussis is a serious and highly contagious infection, which can take the shape of uncomfortable bacterial infection inside the infected person.
These coughing spells can be followed by vomiting and cause a high-pitched sound like a whoop, which is why it is more commonly known as whooping cough. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has revealed that the cough can take as long as three months.
There have been 73 cases of Pertussis as of May in the state, including one outbreak that happened in Minnetonka High School last month.
In an interview, Danielle Ryan, a public information officer for MDH, said that the department is in the process of coordinating with school nurses and other public health personnel in order to contain the situation.
According to Ryan, “Anyone who has had direct exposure to someone with pertussis and who is experiencing pertussis-like symptoms should stay home from activities and school until they have been tested for pertussis and completed at least five days of an appropriate antibiotic therapy,” as kare11.com reported.
Furthermore, “People should make sure they are up to date on vaccinations because they can lessen symptoms. Testing is advised for people with cough illness longer than seven days, and any cough illness if they have had direct exposure to a case,” he added.