New York Student Has Whooping Cough

CENTEREACH, N.Y. – A Long Island school district says one of its students has whopping cough.

According to the Middle Country school district, the Centereach High School student was in school with the symptoms and was contagious from Oct. 17 through Oct. 27.

According to Newsday, Suffolk County has reported about 180 cases to the state Department of Health this year, compared to 54 in 2010.
Centereach is in Suffolk.

In neighboring Nassau County, 45 cases have been reported this year. In 2010, there were 27 cases.

Whooping cough or pertussis is a bacterial infection that causes a barking cough that can be so violent sufferers are unable to catch a breath.