Number of confirmed cases of whooping cough in Lakeville rises
LAKEVILLE - A fourth case of pertussis has been confirmed at Freetown-Lakeville Middle School, according to Freetown-Lakeville Superintendent Richard Medeiros.
As of Thursday, there were four confirmed cases of pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough, and there have been no changes to that number since then, Medeiros said via email on Monday.
Parents and guardians at Freetown-Lakeville Middle School were notified on Nov. 7 that there were two confirmed cases of the disease among students at the school.
A letter sent from Lakeville Public Health Nurse Lori Desmarais to Principal John Higgins shortly before that information was disseminated to parents and guardians said in addition to the two confirmed cases there were also “several suspect cases and two students with cultures pending.”
A third case of pertussis was confirmed a few days after that.
The advisory that was sent home describes pertussis as a “cough illness” that usually begins with cold-like symptoms including a dry cough that lasts for a week or two then slowly gets worse. The next stage of the contagious disease could last from four to six weeks and includes uncontrollable coughing spells often followed by vomiting.
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