OXFORD — A couple of cases of whooping cough have been reported in Oxford Hills elementary grades, SAD 17’s lead nurse said Tuesday.

“It was pretty much expected,” nurse Ann Johnson said.

Pertussis, which is more commonly known as whooping cough, is a respiratory illness that is generally spread from person to person through the air.

The cases reported by the Oxford Hills School District to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention are at the elementary grade levels, Johnson said. The district is informing students and parents about how to prevent the illness from spreading.

“We only have a couple of cases and we want to keep it there,” Johnson said.

Children who have confirmed cases are being kept home for five days — the length of the antibiotic dose.

As of Sept. 6 there were a total of 478 confirmed and probable pertussis cases reported statewide since Jan. 1, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. During the same period last year there were 93 cases.

Of the 478 cases reported this year, 16 were found in infants six months of age and younger, six in children 6 to to 11 months old, 67 in ages 1 to 6 years, 139 in ages 7 to 10 years old and 167 in 11 to 19 years old. The remaining 72 cases were in adults ages 20 through 59.

Oxford County had 23 cases reported, with one new case reported for the week ending Sept. 6. The new cases in the Oxford Hills School District have been reported, but may not have been in the most recent tally, Johnson said.

Cumberland County had the highest number of reported cases with 144. Twenty-two new cases were reported during the week of Sept. 6.

Parents can get additional information from the Oxford Hills School District website at http://www.sad17.k12.me.us/

Or, contact the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention at (207) 287-3746, the TTY line (888)706-3876, or online at http://www.Immunizeme.org.

[email protected]