Olmsted County Public Health reports that there have been 36 confirmed cases of whooping cough since Nov. 1, predominantly within local schools. That brings the total number of cases in 2015 to 76.
Kari Etrheim, of Public Health, issued a press release Monday that says her department is monitoring the community for increased cases of pertussis, a serious bacterial illness commonly referred to as whooping cough. The rest of the state has also seen an uptick in pertussis diagnoses in recent week, Etrheim said.
"Pertussis may begin with a runny nose, sneezing, mild cough, and possibly a low grade fever," Etrheim said. "After 1 or 2 weeks, the cough worsens and begins to occur in sudden, uncontrollable bursts. These coughing attacks can end in vomiting and/or in a high-pitched whooping noise. Older children and adults may have a less typical cough. The cough can continue for up to 3 months."
Lourdes High School and John Adams Middle School have both reported cases of pertussis over the past week, with letters being sent home to parents. The Eagles boys hockey team canceled its game Saturday and tonight due to lingering concerns of an outbreak, while also canceling practice on Monday, according to Lourdes activities director Marv Peters.
Peters called the moves precautionary because "our numbers are not strong enough" to field a full team while battling the highly contagious illness.
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"We're hoping that we've seen the top of the mountain and we're going down the backside now," Peters said. "We should be ready to rock and roll with Greenway on Friday."
The Zumbrota-Mazeppa school district faced similar health concerns in 2014 due to reports of a whooping cough outbreak.
