Whooping cough case at Northport school

A student at a Northport elementary school has whooping cough, a highly contagious respiratory disease, according to the Suffolk County Department of Health.

In an Oct. 17 letter notifying parents, faculty and staff, and posted on the Northport-East Northport school district website, the health department said a student at the Ocean Avenue Elementary School "was contagious with respiratory symptoms from the end of September until Oct. 1."

Whooping cough, also called pertussis, is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis and can cause "uncontrollable, violent coughing which often makes it hard to breathe," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The district's letter advised of the incubation period of the disease -- usually seven to 10 days, but up to 21 days -- and said if children develop symptoms to contact the family's doctor and request a test for pertussis.

Early treatment will eliminate disease transmission and may reduce the severity of the sickness in the child, the letter said.

Parents are required by the state to have their children vaccinated before enrolling them in public school, pre-K programs or day care. Doctors said one of the most important shots this year is the booster for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, which is mandatory for students entering sixth grade.

A whooping cough outbreak hit the Smithtown school district in June. The 13 middle school students who initially got sick had been vaccinated, but officials said their immunity had likely waned.

The vaccine that protects against whooping cough is supposed to be taken in five doses: one each at 2, 4 and 6 months of age; a fourth at 15 to 18 months; and the final at 4 to 6 years. The booster shot is recommended for teens and adults.

The health department said more information on pertussis can be obtained by calling its offices, 631-853-3055, or by visiting cdc.gov.