Important Health Alert: Pertussis Case at Waynesville Middle School

To Our Waynesville Families:

Today, our district learned that there has been a case of Pertussis (Whooping Cough) identified at Waynesville Middle School. For this reason, the Warren County Health Department has recommended that parents monitor their children for signs of prolonged coughing or paroxysmal coughing, as evaluated by their physician. This intervention is necessary to help curb the number of illnesses from growing.

Pertussis (Whooping Cough) is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by bacteria. Pertussis is spread by direct contact with fluids from the nose or throat of the infected individuals. The illness begins with cold symptoms (runny nose, mild cough, low grade fever, sneezing). Within several days, the cough becomes more severe and can be characterized by episodes of numerous rapid coughs, followed by a crowing or high pitched “whoop.”

If your child has a persistent cough or if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s health, please contact your child’s physician. If you or your doctor have further questions, please contact the Warren County Health Department at 513-695-2097.

We want to stress the importance of the actions below, in order to prevent further confirmed cases:

1.      If ill or presenting signs/symptoms of illness, please stay home.

2.      If your student is seen by a medical provider and swabbed, he/she should remain at home until the test results have been received.

3.      If your student has tested positive for Pertussis (Whooping Cough), he/she should remain home for a minimum of five (5) days on treatment.

Questions or concerns regarding attendance can be addressed on a case-by-case basis with your student’s school building/attendance office.

The district will continue to follow protocol and take all the necessary precautions at the school, as well as throughout the district. We will continue to work closely with the Health Department to monitor the situation and additional cleaning will occur throughout the buildings. 

For more detailed information, please refer to the following resources and guidance information:

CDC Pertussis Information:

https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/index.html