Whooping cough found in Moses Lake, Grand Coulee

MOSES LAKE — The Grant County Health District is has confirmed the discovery of two cases of whooping cough in Grant County — one in Moses Lake and another in Grand Coulee.

The first case involves a student from Park Orchard Elementary School with five family members also showing symptoms of whooping cough and three members “probable whooping cough cases,” the health district said in a news release.

The second case involves a student at Lake Roosevelt Elementary in Grand Coulee, one of two schools in the Grand Coulee Dam School District.

“Exposure letters have all been distributed at impacted schools,” said Heather Massart, public information officer for the Grant County Health District. “There is the potential for more cases to occur.”

Massart said health district officials are working closely with school officials and families members of sick students to provide “post-exposure prophylaxis” with antibiotics, as well as ensure all students get their child’s shot records up to date.

Washington State law requires all children entering school to show proof of a whooping cough vaccine or exemption from being vaccinated.

Students who have not been vaccinated can be excluded from school in the event of an outbreak until the outbreak passes, the district said.

“Any child with symptoms of pertussis (cough) will need to be excluded immediately until further evaluation of cough is completed,” Massart said.

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a highly contagious disease that spreads through droplets coughed or sneezed out that are either touched or inhaled. The initial symptoms are runny nose, low-grade fever, a pause in breathing and a cough that gets steadily worse over two weeks.

“Students can spread illnesses to one another because of poor hand washing, uncovered coughs and staying in close proximity to each other,” Massart said.

If you feel that you have the symptoms of whooping cough, or have been exposed, contact your primary health care provider or a Grant County public health nurse at 509-766-7960.

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached via email at cfeatherstone@columbiabasinherald.com.