4 Portsmouth High School Students Get Whooping Cough: RIDOH

PORTSMOUTH, RI — Four Portsmouth High School students have been diagnosed with pertussis — or more commonly known as whooping cough, the Rhode Island Department of Health said Tuesday.

State officials said three of the students with pertussis are in 10th grade, while the other student is in 11th grade. All Portsmouth High School students are considered exposed to whooping cough.

According to health officials, there have been 44 cases of whooping cough in Rhode Island since September. This includes another case last month at Portsmouth Middle School and one last week in South Kingstown. The rise in cases in Rhode Island is a part of a national trend, which has seen thousands more whooping cough cases in 2024 than the prior year.

School officials told Portsmouth High School families to monitor their children for pertussis symptoms. Any child with symptoms should see a doctor and be kept home from school and activities until they have taken antibiotics for five days. Officials also told families to make sure their children are up-to-date on their pertussis vaccines.

The bacterial illness owes its common name to the high-pitched “whoop” sound people, especially babies, make when they try to breathe during a violent coughing fit. Anyone can develop whooping cough, but the disease is especially dangerous for young children and can lead to serious complications, including pneumonia, brain damage, seizures, apnea and death.

People who are infected with the bacteria that causes pertussis can spread it for weeks, often without realizing they are sick. Good hygiene practices, such as thorough hand-washing, are encouraged, but vaccines are the best protection against pertussis, according to the CDC.

Babies born in the United States routinely get the DTaP vaccine, which protects against whooping cough and two other diseases, diphtheria and tetanus. The vaccine works well to protect children against the latter two, but is less effective over time at preventing whooping cough. Boosters are recommended every 10 years or so.

Have a news tip? Email jimmy.bentley@patch.com.