HENRICO COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT

8600 DIXON POWERS DRIVE

P. O. BOX 90775
HENRICO, VIRGINIA 23273-0775

In cooperation with the

State Department of Health

June 6, 2017

Dear Parent or Guardian:

We have been informed of additional cases of pertussis (whooping cough) at Glen Allen High
School and are seeing an increase in the broader community as well. Pertussis is a respiratory
illness caused by bacteria that affects people of all ages characterized by severe coughing. It is
spread through the air in droplets produced during sneezing and/or coughing. Although pertussis
is usually not a life-threatening illness, it can be very serious in infants (less than one year of age)
and in individuals with compromised immune systems or chronic medical conditions.

When a case of pertussis is identified, the Virginia Department of Health recommends that
parents of children and individuals who may have been in close contact with the case be notified.
In the high school environment it can be difficult to determine exactly who would have had close
contact with the case, so we provide general education to the entire school as it is also possible to
be exposed to pertussis in the community setting.

Recommendations for preventive treatment of close contacts vary with each case, dependent upon
duration and severity of illness. Preventive treatment is not recommended for all possible
contacts at this time. However, individuals who have had a cough lasting more than two weeks
or a severe cough with wheezing or vomiting lasting less than two weeks should be evaluated by
their primary care provider. You may choose to take this letter with you to the doctor and ask for
a nasopharyngeal swab test for pertussis.

Pertussis can be treated successfully with antibiotics and can be prevented by age-appropriate
vaccinations in children and adults. Susceptible persons who are exposed to someone with
pertussis will typically develop symptoms of illness 7 to 10 days after exposure, but can develop
symptoms up to 21 days after exposure. Please monitor for symptoms until June 21, 2017.

Individuals without symptoms or with only mild cold-like symptoms do not need to be
tested or treated at this time.

If you have any questions, you may contact your childs pediatrician or Laura Young, Henrico
Health Districts Epidemiologist, at 804-501-5216 or laura.r.young@vdh.virginia.gov. A fact
sheet about pertussis can be accessed here:
http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/epidemiology/epidemiology-fact-sheets/pertussis-whooping-cough/

Sincerely,

Laura R. Young, MPH, CIC

Epidemiologist
Henrico Health District