Whooping cough case reported at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – Health officials say Fayette County has its first confirmed case of pertussis of the new school year.

The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department says the confirmed case is at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School.

Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, is a contagious respiratory illness that is spread by coughing and sneezing.

The health department is recommending preventive antibiotics for high-risk students who were exposed to pertussis.

According to the health department, this is the seventh confirmed case of pertussis in 2019, but it is the first for the 2019-20 school year.