Whooping cough case at Stevenson High School

A student at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire has been diagnosed with pertussis, the school announced this week.

Also called whooping cough, the disease is a highly contagious respiratory ailment. It can cause violent coughing that can make breathing difficult, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pertussis can affect people of any age. It can be very serious, even deadly, for babies less than a year old, according to the CDC.