Parents warned after case of whooping cough reported at Lake County high school

EUSTIS, Fla. — Officials in Lake County were warning parents to be on the lookout for symptoms of whooping cough after a Eustis High School student was diagnosed with the highly contagious disease.

The case of pertussis, of whooping cough, was reported Monday, Lake County Public Schools said.

The diagnosis prompted a robocall to parents warning them to watch for any signs their child may be getting sick.

Early symptoms of whooping cough include a runny nose, low-grade fever and mild cough.

As the disease progresses, the infected person can experience violent coughing fits followed by vomiting, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Even if a person has been vaccinated, they are still susceptible to the bacteria that causes whooping cough, experts said.

Infections in people who have been vaccinated are generally less severe, the CDC said.

Symptoms generally show up between five and 10 days after a person is exposed, but can take up to three weeks to surface, the CDC said.

“There is a possibility that students may have been exposed, so we wanted to make sure parents knew what to look for,” Lake County Schools spokeswoman Sherri Owens said. “So we worked with the health department to make sure we got the best information to the parents.”

Cox Media Group