SPOKANE, Wash. -- Peperzak Middle School sent a letter to parents Tuesday warning that their child may have been exposed to whooping cough.

According to the letter, students may have been exposed to the infection between Dec. 2 and Dec. 10. Due to how easily the infection spreads, the school is exercising caution and asking parents to keep their child home from school and activities, such as sports and playgrounds, if they have a cough.

The school advised parents to consult a healthcare provider if their child is diagnosed with whooping cough. Those infected should take the appropriate antibiotics for five days and consult their healthcare provider to determine when it is safe to return to school.

Whooping cough, caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis, begins with cold-like symptoms and can progress to severe coughing spells, which may lead to gagging or vomiting. Children may exhibit a high-pitched "whoop" after coughing, but infants may not cough at all, and some teens and adults may not display the characteristic "whoop." Severe complications can include pneumonia, fainting, seizures, apnea (pauses in breathing), and even death, with infants being especially vulnerable.

There has been a rise in whooping cases in Spokane and Whitman County.

If parents or those infected have any questions, they are asked to contact Spokane Regional Health District's Disease Prevention and Response division at (509)324-1442.

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