Another Case of Whooping Cough, This Time in Springs

Another case of pertussis has been reported — this time in the Springs School.

On Wednesday, the district put up a notice on its website from the Suffolk County Department of Health Services.

A on March 29.

After the case at the middle school was made public, Dr. Gail Schonfeld of told that she has diagnosed four cases in the last three weeks. She said one was a 3-month-old who was admitted to the hospital, but eventually recovered.

Schools throughout the county have continued to see a rise in cases of the highly contagious bacterial respiratory illness. Over 300 were reported in 2011, compared to just 54 last year and 75 in 2009. Several cases have been reported in nearby school districts, , as well as throughout Long Island.

Superintendent Michael Hartner said Thursday morning, "All parents have been notified to be on the look-out for symptoms."

Those with whooping cough are infectious for 21 days from the start of the cough or until they've been on antibiotics for a full five days.

There are three stages of infection. It starts with mild upper respiratory symptoms, slight cough and a low grade fever that lasts one to two weeks. As the cough becomes more severe, it causes spasmodic coughing with long whooping sounds, according to the health department.