'100 day cough' hits Columbia Falls schools

Whooping cough (pertussis) infected several people in the Columbia Falls School District last week, according to county health officials. The highly contagious ailment was spread by an adult who was misdiagnosed with bronchitis, said Jody White, a nurse with the Flathead City-County Health Department. The adult, in turn, gave it to the children. All told, there were three cases reported at Ruder Elementary and one case at Glacier Gateway.

The ailment is also called the “100 day cough” because it lingers for months, even after it’s treated. Some people cough so hard they crack ribs, White noted.

Most people are vaccinated against whooping cough, but the vaccine isn’t 100 percent effective, White said. More recently, some parents and their children have avoided vaccinations, claiming the vaccine does harm. But the disease itself is very unpleasant and can cause death.

White said any adult who is around small children should get a booster shot.

Children at the schools who were exposed to students with the ailment were told to get antibiotic treatments as a precaution. The disease is treated with either Zithromax or Bactrin — two common antibiotics.

The school district has heightened cleaning and sanitization of its facilities in wake of the development.

People who have the disease should not go to a daycare, school, work or public gatherings until at least five days after starting an antibiotic. Anyone with a cough for more than a week should consult a doctor.

Countywide, there have been 19 cases reported.

The health department will have a special immunization clinic at the Columbia Falls Junior High May 22 from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Folks can also get a booster shot at the health department office in Kalispell on First Avenue West from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from 1:30 to 4 p.m. No appointment is necessary.

They also have evening hours from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays. Shots are also available at the Columbia Falls Ambulance building from 9 a.m. to noon the second Tuesday of every month.