(EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.) — Parents of students at Cheyenne Mountain High School in Colorado Springs received a detailed letter from El Paso County Public Health (EPCPH) on Monday, Oct. 21 regarding its investigation into a case of pertussis (commonly known as whooping cough) at the high school. FOX21 News reached out to the Health Department on Tuesday, Oct. 22, and according to EPCPH, El Paso County has seen a significant increase in reported cases and outbreaks of pertussis in all levels of schooling. Whooping cough is a very contagious respiratory illness that is spread when people come into close contact with someone who has the disease and is coughing or sneezing. "Those at highest risk of getting sick are people living in the same household, and others who spend a lot of time with the sick person," wrote Michelle Beyrle, MPH, Division Director of Strategy, Data & Communication at EPCPH. Beyrle said symptoms can develop up to 21 days after exposure, but most frequently occur after about a week. Although whooping cough may appear as a common cold initially, later symptoms include a fever of less than 100.4, a runny or stuffed-up nose, and a lingering high-pitch whooping cough. According to EPCPH, a person may look and feel fine after a coughing fit, however, vomiting, shortness of breath, a change in facial color, and/or a whooping sound may follow after the fit. "A person can get coughing fits that last up to 10 weeks," Beyrle said. 2024 cases in El Paso County are currently at 68, almost triple the amount of cases from last year. Recorded cases of pertussis throughout the years. Courtesy: EPCPH "Schools and parents alike should be on the lookout for increases in respiratory illness and know what steps to take," said Beyrle. "One of the best preventive measures for both schools and parents is to keep children who are ill at home and out of schools and other group settings. In addition, it’s important to seek care and get tested, in order to get connected to treatment." School administration at Cheyenne Mountain and EPCPH are working closely to contact the parents of the students who might have been directly exposed to whooping cough while in school from Monday, Oct. 14 through Wednesday, Oct. 17. In the letter to parents, EPCPH recommended that parents monitor their children for symptoms through Thursday, Nov. 7 — approximately 21 days after exposure. If a child has developed a new cough-related illness, EPCPH recommends talking to a healthcare provider and testing for whooping cough if the provider deems it necessary. EPCPH also recommends the individual to stay home for the first five days and receive antibiotic treatment. The health department is also recommending parents review the immunization records for all individuals in the household to make sure they are up to date on their DTaP or Tdap shots, which include protection against whooping cough. DTaP is recommended for children younger than seven years old, while a single dose of Tdap — a vaccine commonly used as a tetanus booster as well — is recommended for individuals between the ages of 11 and 64. Whooping cough can occur in someone who has been vaccinated, although symptoms may be less severe, according to EPCPH. The infection may be very severe in infants and young children, especially those who are not up to date on their vaccine. According to EPCPH, infants may not develop a cough, however, they could develop apnea where breathing temporarily stops and they may turn blue from lack of oxygen. The illness can lead to hospitalization or other complications in children such as: Apnea - 68% or two in three Pneumonia - 22% or one in five Convulsions - 2% or one in 50 Encephalotaphy (Disease of the brain) - 0.6% or one in 150 Death - 1% or one in 100 Those who are affected can go back to school or work after the completion of a five-day course on prescribed antibiotics. Anyone with questions can contact the Communicable Disease Program at EPCPH at (719) 578-3220 or (719) 235-2278 during after-hours or weekends. Those who have vaccination questions can contact the EPCPH Immunization Program at (719) 578-3199, option 5.