Alabama School District Hit With Whooping Cough Outbreak

It's about time for the weather to start changing in Alabama and that means sicknesses and viruses within school may likely increase.

Parents across the state can relate to how frustrating it can be having kids in public schools. It's not because of the curriculum, or fees associated with the school year, that's a whole different conversation.

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Having kids in public schools always seem to increase the amount of times your child will contract some kind of sickness. It seems like this Alabama school district is having an issue with a highly contagious bacteria respiratory disease.

What Is The Whooping Cough??

Whooping cough, also known as *pertussis*, is a highly contagious bacterial infection that affects the respiratory system. It's characterized by severe coughing fits that make it difficult to breathe. After these coughing episodes, individuals often have to take deep breaths, which can produce a distinctive "whooping" sound, hence the name.

While pertussis can affect people of any age, it is particularly dangerous for infants under one year old, where it can lead to severe complications or even death. The disease is highly contagious, and household members who come into contact with an infected person have up to an 80% chance of contracting it.

If a child is diagnosed with pertussis, it is important that they stay home from school or daycare until they've completed a course of antibiotics to prevent spreading the disease.

 Symptoms

Symptoms typically begin within 5 to 10 days after exposure, but can take as long as 3 weeks to appear.

- **Early symptoms (first 1–2 weeks)**:
- Mild runny nose
- Low-grade fever
- Sneezing
- Mild, occasional cough
- Apnea (pauses in breathing), especially during sleep

- **Later symptoms (after 1–2 weeks)**:
- Severe coughing fits, often followed by a high-pitched "whoop" sound
- Vomiting during or after coughing fits
- Extreme tiredness after coughing episodes

According to WAFF, Scottsboro City School leaders said on Monday that a third student in the district is sick with whooping cough.

Officials said the student attends Collins Intermediate School. You can read the full story about this by clicking here.