Whooping cough outbreak at Hersey, Prospect high schools

Five students at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights and four at Prospect High School in Mount Prospect have confirmed cases of whooping cough, according to the Cook County Department of Public Health.

Health department officials also reported three confirmed cases of whooping cough at Highcrest Middle School in Wilmette.

"We definitely see an increase in the winter months," said department spokeswoman Deanna Durica. "What we're seeing now is pretty typical. It is of concern because it's infectious and we want to control the spread of it through good information, but it's nothing unusual this time of year."

The health department and school district officials sent emails to parents this week informing them of the cases of whooping cough, formally known as pertussis, along with ways to prevent its spread.

Northwest Suburban High School District 214 spokeswoman Jennifer Delgado said Hersey and Prospect sent the emails after being notified of the whooping cough cases by the health department.

As general protocol, school maintenance crews disinfect restrooms and hard surfaces such as desktops and cafeteria tables every night, Delgado said.

Health department officials recommend vaccinations for children at ages 15 months, and 2, 4 and 6 years old. A booster shot is also recommended for ages 4-6.

Two vaccines, Boostrix and Adacel, became available in 2005 for ages 10-64. The vaccines are also recommended for health care workers and adults 65 and older who are in close contact with young infants, officials said.

Through the end of September, there have been 111 confirmed cases of whopping cough this year in suburban Cook County. In 2015, there were a total of 171 cases, according to the health department.

Symptoms are similar to those of the common cold, experts say, marked by a running nose, sneezing, low-grade fever and a mild, occasional cough at first. That could progress to severe coughing fits and vomiting - symptoms that could last several weeks.

The disease is more serious in young children, while adults and adolescents typically experience milder symptoms, Durica said.