(WHAS11) - Five students in one local elementary school have tested positive for ‘whooping cough”—a highly contagious, respiratory illness.  But there may be many more cases of whopping cough in the Freedom Elementary school that the health department doesn’t even know about yet. 

The Bullitt County Health Department tells us that they are waiting results from 12 more students who were recently tested for the illness.  Right now, 5 students in the 3^rd and 4^th grade at freedom elementary do have whopping cough.  While school officials and the health department are doing everything they can to prevent this from spreading, it may not be possible...Which is why parents and kids are concerned.

9 year old Rebecca Fox does not have whopping cough, but two other kids in her class do.

Rebecca Fox says, “I think it’s scary.  People in my class have it and I might get it.”

Her aunt, Lisa Duvall is equally concerned.

Lisa Duvall says, “Kinda scary with it being contagious.”           

The school sent parents a letter last week letting them know that a student had tested positive for Whopping cough.  But today, Lesa Bodine, the Bullitt County Schools Health Coordinator, sent home another letter... letting parents know that five students at Freedom Elementary School now have Whooping cough and the health department is waiting on test results of 12 more students.

Ned Fitzgibbons says, “We don’t know where we are with this.  We don’t know if we’re in the first wave or the last wave.  We are waiting on the result of 12 more tests.  We do have 5 positives.”

So teachers at Freedom Elementary are taking extra precautions to try and prevent the illness from spreading in class...            

Rebecca Fox says, “They’re giving us Germ X and she gives us restroom breaks to wash our hands.”                 

...and the school and the health department are working together to educate parents on the signs and symptoms of Whooping cough.

Lesa Bodine says, “We sent out a letter giving the signs and symptoms of what to watch for and to anticipate more positive cases.”

She says the things parents need to look for are runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, red and watery eyes, mild fever and a dry cough.

In the later stages, people will usually have severe coughing attacks and coughs that end in a high pitched “whoop” sound.

Lesa Bodine says, “We’re trying to work them to let them know that we do expect more cases.  The health department is working with physicians, so we just want to make sure that they understand that more is not uncommon... more cases will be confirmed probably.”

Ned Fitzgibbons says, “Anytime you’ve got a disease, potentially fatal, absolutely take it seriously and stay on top of it.”

Whooping cough is treated with antibiotics.  Generally symptoms will continue for 4 to six weeks after infection.  If your child does show any of the signs or symptoms of whopping cough, make sure you get them to your family doctor right away.