Officials said 15 cases of whooping cough have been reported recently in Brookline.
A positive case was confirmed at Brookline High School on June 5 and one additional case has been identified at Runkle School, officials said. statement by the town’s Public Health and Human Services Director, Sigal Rice, and Public Schools Superintendent, Linus J. Guillory Jr.
Officials said 15 cases had been confirmed as of Thursday.
Whooping cough is a bacterial infection that is easily transmitted and can cause severe illness in young children and infants. Officials say the first signs of symptoms appear about seven to 10 days after infection.
Initial symptoms include a runny nose, sneezing and coughing, followed by an uncontrollable, violent coughing fit that produces a whooshing sound when breathing in. Symptoms can last up to six to 10 weeks, and treatment with antibiotics is typically recommended, officials said.
“While we feel the public health risk is low at this time, as we move towards the end of the school year we feel it is important to update our community on the situation and communicate the steps residents can take to avoid contracting whooping cough and other diseases,” Rice said.
Whooping cough cases are soaring across the country, with nearly 5,000 cases reported in the first five months of this year, more than double the number during the same period last year.
In Brookline, officials urged residents to make sure they and their children are up to date on vaccinations, and anyone who may have come into contact with a pertussis case and developed symptoms should get tested, officials said.
“The situation continues to evolve and the City of Brookline will continue to monitor cases and contacts as additional information becomes available,” officials said.
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