More than half of the 136 reported cases of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, have been confirmed in Lake County since Oct. 1, according to the Lake County Health Department.
Locally, Upper Grade Center in Lake Forest has reported 10 cases, according to assistant principal Peter Tantillo. , and each indicated no reported cases as of Tuesday, according to school officials.
Find out what's happening in Lake Forest-Lake Bluffwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Since Oct. 1, 68 confirmed cases have been reported on Lake County, according to Shawn Cesario, a nurse epidemiologist for the Lake County Health Department. Last year, 89 total cases were reported.
Cesario cautioned the current numbers are what the health department knows are confirmed cases in the county in the last two weeks.
Find out what's happening in Lake Forest-Lake Bluffwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"You can look normal between coughing spells," Cesario said.
Tantillo said the 10 cases have occurred in the past month, mostly in the upper grade levels of the fourth through eighth grade school. School Nurse Alison DiValerio met with students prior to the Thanksgiving break to reinforce preventative measures such as covering when sneezing or coughing, washing hands frequently and staying home when sick.
In an e-mail to parents, school officials emphasized to parents to take their children to see their family physician if they exhibit any symptoms.
Tantillo said one of the obstacles of pertussis is that it doesn't show itself right away. "After a culture is taken it takes three to four days before a case is confirmed," he said.
Cesario said the immunizations given to children as infants eventually leave the body "after a few years," and Tantillo said children receive a booster shot in the sixth grade.
Throughout the Chicago suburbs and the state, whooping cough cases continue to grow. According to Triblocal, "confirmed cases of the highly contagious bacterial infection have spiked in McHenry, Lake and DuPage counties, affecting close to 500 residents, the most in more than five years."
The Illinois Department of Health reported 1,019 cases throughout the state as of Thursday, according to Triblocal.
- For an FAQ on pertussis from the Lake County Health Department, click on the attached PDF.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
