Greendale High School reports four pertussis cases

Greendale - The school district reported to the village health department that four high school students were infected with pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough.

School nurse Kathy Andrzejewski said the district may see more cases.

"The district is working with the Greendale Health Department to alert parents of the situation and help staff members contain the spread of the contagious disease," Superintendent John Tharp said. "We are monitoring the situation and will continue to work with the health department to ensure that parents and the community remain informed."

Pertussis is an upper respiratory illness that is spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Symptoms usually occur within a week of exposure but sometimes take as long as six weeks to appear, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The district instructed teachers to refer students with pertussis symptoms to the nurse's office. School custodians were instructed to ensure that hand sanitizer is available and that common surfaces are disinfected.