Pittsburgh Central Catholic student has whooping cough, officials say

Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh will undergo “extensive cleaning” this weekend after learning one of its students has been diagnosed with whooping cough, school officials said Friday.

School officials sent out a letter to parents and guardians on Jan. 23 stating the state Department of Health confirmed a case of whooping cough, or pertussis, in one student.

“Your child may have been exposed to whooping cough,” the letter said. “In an abundance of caution, Central Catholic will undergo an extensive cleaning process throughout the remainder of the week and into the weekend.”

School is still in session, said Chelsey Rovesti, the school’s spokesperson. She declined to provide additional information.

Central Catholic in Oakland has 840 students from more than 50 school districts in the region, according to the school’s website.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists whooping cough as a “highly contagious respiratory disease” that causes uncontrollable, violent coughing.

“After cough fits, someone with pertussis often needs to take deep breaths, which result in a ‘whooping’ sound,” says the CDC.

The organization says the best way to prevent the disease is a vaccine.

Parents with children in the school have been advised by the Pennsylvania Department of Health to call a doctor if their child starts coughing and explain that they might have been exposed to whooping cough.