Another whooping cough case confirmed in Anchorage schools, officials say

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Another case of whooping cough was confirmed Sunday in Anchorage schools as the infectious bacterial disease continues to crop up in Alaska.

The number of confirmed positive cases in Anchorage School District facilities is now three, with another three suspected cases, district officials say, after the first one was announced last week.

The district said the confirmed case affects Rabbit Creek Elementary School and Aquarian Charter School. The Anchorage School District Healthcare Services Department in Northeast Anchorage was also made aware of the most recent case.

Also known as pertussis, whooping cough is a bacteria spread through water droplets in the air and typically transmitted through coughing, sneezing, and breathing. Symptoms usually show up as congestion, difficulty breathing, low fever, coughing fits, and gasping for air.

The illness is also preventable through a vaccine.

Whooping cough can affect people of all ages but is potentially life-threatening for babies less than a year old, according to health experts.

The school district said infected people are not allowed back in ASD schools until they have completed appropriate antibiotic treatment, which the district says is a five-day process.

“The safety of our students and staff is our top priority,” ASD officials wrote in a letter to parents. “Given what we know at this time, and based on guidance from our health and medical partners, we believe there could be a risk of infection to others.”

This year has seen a sharp increase in whooping cough cases. Through the end of August, the Alaska Department of Health had reported 215 cases, more than the previous six years combined — 163 cases going back to 2018.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the ASD facilities that were affected by the most recently confirmed pertussis case.