Whooping cough
case confirmed
BY LINDA DeNICOLA
Staff Writer

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — School administrators informed parents there was one case of pertussis (whooping cough) confirmed in a township middle school last week. In a letter sent home with students, parents were urged to report cold symptoms that include a persistent cough.

According to the letter from Superintendent of Schools Catherine M. Snyder, there have been several diagnosed cases of pertussis in western Monmouth County this winter. On Jan. 21, a confirmed case of pertususis was reported in a student at the Eisenhower Middle School, Burlington Road.

Snyder was unavailable for further comment on Friday or Monday.

In December there were three confirmed cases of whooping cough in the neighboring Howell K-8 school district. Two cases were diagnosed at Howell Middle School North and one suspected case was diagnosed at Howell Middle School South.

The Monmouth County Health Department was notified and the Howell school district was following the department’s directives, which included disinfecting the schools.

Assistant Monmouth County Public Health Coordinator Michael Meddis told Greater Media Newspaper that officials are seeing more cases of whooping cough this year statewide, but they do not fear an outbreak of the illness.

Meddis said newborns and infants not yet immunized are the people considered most at risk. He said any household with an infant living there should consult with a physician if someone living in the home has been suffering from any cough-like illness for more than two weeks.

Treatment involves not only administering an antibiotic to the person who has been diagnosed with the illness, but also to all people living in the household, Meddis said.