Since Atascadero High School officials alerted families last week that a student had been diagnosed with pertussis, the County of San Luis Obispo Health Agency reports that two additional cases have been confirmed within the county.
Pertussis, commonly known as "whooping cough," is a highly contagious bacterial infection that causes common cold symptoms and eventually can lead to the development of severe coughing fits, according to Atascadero Unified School District Nursing Services.
Officials say people with the illness are most infectious when they are experiencing cold-like symptoms and up to 3 weeks after the onset of severe coughing.
The county's health agency reports that the new confirmations add to a total of 5 diagnoses so far this year.
According to the agency's public information specialist, Tara Kennon, this number of cases in the county is not unusual and is actually on the lower side.
The SLO County Public Health's Epidemiology Data & Reports webpage states that there have been 5 or fewer cases each year since 2020— a stark decrease since the agency's report of 39 cases in 2014.
In the state of California, officials say cases of pertussis appear to be returning to pre-pandemic levels.
Representatives add that the people most at risk of contracting pertussis are babies who are too young to be vaccinated.
Atascadero High School officials sent an identical, additional notification to families on Wednesday regarding the original student who was diagnosed.
