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Seven cases of whooping cough appear at Glenwood Elementary - The Daily Tar Heel <br />https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2019/05/chccs-whooping-cough-outbreak-at-glenwood-elementary[5/13/2019 9:59:09 AM] <br />Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a respiratory infection characterized by severe coughing <br />spells that end in a whooping sound when the person breathes in. The Orange County Health Department <br />said the first symptoms of whooping cough are similar to those of a common cold, including low-grade <br />fever, runny nose and sneezing. <br />Infants and young children are most at risk for whooping cough. According to the letter sent to Glenwood <br />parents, children are routinely immunized against whooping cough with the TDaP vaccine as an infant and <br />again around age 4 or 5. <br />Those infected with whooping cough are treated with antibiotics. <br />EDITORS PICKS <br />Editorial: We stand withUNC Charlotte UNC women's basketballhead coach Courtney <br />Banghart ready for 'a new <br />beginning' <br />Office DJ: Here's where ourbottom quotes came from all <br />year <br />This is not the only whooping cough outbreak in CHCCS this year. In January, multiple cases were <br />reported at Chapel Hill High School and East Chapel Hill High School. <br />“In the seven years I’ve been here, it seems to crop up every couple years or so,” Nash said. <br />The number of cases in North Carolina increased from 300 in 2016 to 361 in 2017, the Orange County <br />Health Department said. <br />The number of cases at Glenwood Elementary has remained steady at seven, Orange County <br />communications manager Kristin Prelipp said. However, it’s too early to say the outbreak is over. <br />“Hopefully it dissipates quickly,” Nash said. “Until it does, we’ll continue working with the health <br />department, making sure notices get to the right families.” <br />@maringwolf <br />city@dailytarheel.com