Mondovi Schools taking steps to curb whooping cough outbreak

by Beth Kraft

The Mondovi School District and the Buffalo County Health Department are working together to try to stop the spread of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, that has moved through the district within the last few weeks.

At press time there were 24 confirmed cases of whooping cough in the Mondovi Schools, according to Mondovi District Administrator Cheryl Gullicksrud.

Student infections ballooned to 16 cases early last week before leveling off somewhat over the past weekend.

Gullicksrud said it started in one of the Mondovi Elementary classrooms, but the exact source of the outbreak may never be known.

“Every time a confirmed pertussis case is reported, we are identifying who else may have been exposed and are contacting families to get them tested and treated,” commented Nicole Hunger, Buffalo County public health officer, in a press release.

Once the health department receives confirmation of a positive pertussis test, Mondovi school nurse Sue Poeschel is notified to take appropriate action.

“Sue has done an amazing job at keeping all the parents updated,” Gullicksrud said.

Since the number of confirmed cases in the Mondovi district began to escalate, letters have been sent home to parents of students in affected classrooms, teachers, maintenance personnel, and bus drivers have been asked to wipe down surfaces, and the district has worked to post information to its website and Facebook page.

“The more the information gets out there the better because it just makes everybody aware,” Gullicksrud said.

Parents have been very cooperative about getting pertussis testing done on students in question, Gullicksrud added. She noted many sick children have tested negative for pertussis, indicating the run-of-the-mill colds and flus are also going around.

Gullicksrud said she was “cautiously optimistic” that school district and health department efforts would work to curb the spread of the contagious bacterial disease without having to cancel classes.

However, she noted the district may not know the scope of the outbreak for another few weeks. Whooping cough symptoms may not appear for as many as 21 days after exposure.

“The best way to prevent the spread of pertussis is to wash your hands frequently, cover your coughs, watch for symptoms, and call your doctor if you have symptoms,” Hunger advised.

There have been no confirmed pertussis cases in either the Gilmanton or Eleva-Strum districts, administrators from both schools confirmed on Monday.

According to information provided by the Buffalo County Health Department, pertussis symptoms initially begin with cold-like ailments, such as a runny nose, low-grade fever, and mild, but irritating, cough for a few weeks. Symptoms then worsen to include explosive coughing (following by a whooping sound), making breathing, eating or sleeping difficult. Children may vomit or become exhausted. 

In very young babies (less than six months of age), pertussis can lead to bacterial pneumonia, weight loss, and dehydration. More than half of babies that test positive for pertussis are hospitalized.

In older children and adults, the symptoms are usually milder and the coughing may not contain the typical “whoop.”

Health officials say pertussis is spread most easily in the early stage, before the explosive coughing begins. Children exhibiting symptoms of a cough illness should be evaluated as soon as possible by a health care provider in order to stop the spread of the disease. 

Symptoms typically appear 7-20 days after exposure. Antibiotics are used to treat the respiratory disease, and the infected person should say home from work or school for at least the first five days of treatment.

According to the Wisconsin Division of Public Health, 751 pertussis cases were reported statewide (556 confirmed and 195 probable) from Jan. 1 - Nov. 2 of this year. During that same period, 1,019 cases were reported in 2013, down from 5,795 cases in 2012.

For more information about pertussis, including ways to tell the difference between pertussis and the common cold or flu, please visit www.dhs.wisconsin.gov and search for “pertussis.”