Schools

Whooping Cough Found at 2 Elmbrook Schools

Brookfield East High School and Brookfield Central High School have a confirmed case of the whooping cough each, according to an alert posted on the school’s website.

The illness involves someone in the junior class, according to Brookfield East. Brookfield Central is reporting its case of the whooping cough involves someone in the senior class.

Brookfield Central staff informed parents that whooping cough is widespread throughout Waukesha County and the State of Wisconsin.

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“Parents should continue to be alert for the symptoms and  know that even students previously vaccinated for pertussis are able to contract the disease,” the website states. 

Pertussis, commonly known as the whooping cough, is usually spread by repeated indoor face-to-face contact with a person who is sick with pertussis.

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“Pertussis is known for uncontrollable, violent coughing which often makes it hard to breathe,” states the Centers for Disease Control. “After fits of many coughs, someone with pertussis often needs to take deep breathes which result in a ‘whooping’ sound. Pertussis most commonly affects infants and young children and can be fatal, especially in babies less than 1 year of age.”


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