Apex High School student diagnosed with whooping cough

School administrators placed robo calls and sent letters to parents Monday saying the Wake County Human Services Department had confirmed that an unidentified student had been diagnosed with pertussis, also known as whooping cough. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pertussis, in the early stages, is characterized by symptoms similar to a mild cough or fever and can last up to two weeks.

The CDC says that left untreated, the disease can include fits of rapid coughing followed by a high-pitched whooping sound, vomiting and exhaustion. Treatment includes antibiotics and can require a trip to the hospital if it has advanced far enough without medication, the CDC says.

Health officials say whooping cough is spread by coughs or sneezes and is easily transmitted among those who share close quarters with someone who has the illness.

Jeannette Hill, an assistant principal at Apex, said parents whose children had been exposed to the sick student would receive a letter from the county health department. Parents who did not receive a letter don't have to take action because school officials said their children did not come in contact with the sick student.

"Know that we will continue to take every measure to ensure the health and safety of our students," Hill wrote in a letter delivered to parents. The school urged parents to contact administrators l if they had questions.