SPRINGDALE -- An Elmdale Elementary School student has been diagnosed with pertussis, or whooping cough, according to a Springdale School District spokesman.
Pertussis is a highly contagious disease involving the respiratory tract.
The Arkansas Department of Health requires students in the same school with a student who has a confirmed case of pertussis who have an exemption for the pertussis vaccine or no record of the vaccination to be excluded from school for 21 days from the date of exposure.
The student with pertussis has two siblings at two other schools.
The siblings haven't tested positive for pertussis, but both have been treated for it, and families at their schools were notified Thursday as a precaution, according to Rick Schaeffer, the district's director of communication.
One of the siblings attends Central Junior High School. Schaeffer said he didn't know the other sibling's school.
Symptoms of pertussis usually develop within five to 10 days after exposure, but sometimes don't develop for as long as three weeks.
Early symptoms can last for one to two weeks and usually include a runny nose, low-grade fever and a mild cough.
After that, symptoms may include fits of many rapid coughs followed by a high-pitched "whoop" sound, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
At least two other Northwest Arkansas school districts have reported cases of pertussis this fall.
Washington Elementary School in Fayetteville had two cases. Pea Ridge Intermediate School had one.
Metro on 12/23/2019