There’s a bug creeping through the residence hall, and it could be coming to a dorm near you.
Campus administrators sent out a notice on Oct. 22, warning students of a confirmed case of pertussis, also known as “whooping cough.”
The student in question is receiving treatment, and those who had close contact have also received preventive care.
Pertussis symptoms can include scratchy throat, watery eyes, runny nose and a low-grade fever. More severe symptoms can include a spasmodic cough that may increase in intensity and duration with time, in addition to causing vomiting or loss of breath.
The illness is caused by a highly contagious bacterial infection of the nose, mouth and throat. While adult mortality rates are typically low, pertussis is considered highly dangerous to infants.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that those over the age of 14 get a tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap) immunization to help prevent from catching the illness.
According to the CDC, Idaho saw a 2-to-3 fold increase in pertussis infections this year.
Earlier this year, Washington declared a pertussis epidemic, and the CDC ranked the state to have the third highest rate of infection in the country.
With over 2,520 cases reported, the state saw the highest rate of infection since 1942.
