POULSBO — Jenn Markaryan of the North Kitsap School District said local schools have had a “handful” of pertussis cases since the beginning of the school year, but as of Feb. 12 no students are out with pertussis.

North Kitsap students have dodged the outbreak, thus far. There have been 55 cases of pertussis reported to Kitsap Public Health District since June 2014. Nineteen cases have occurred since the beginning of January. Generally, Kitsap County sees about 14 cases per year.

Most cases have been in school-aged children in North Kitsap and Bainbridge Island.

Markaryan said that when a student is diagnosed with pertussis, he or she is out of school for at least five days.

“If they are showing the signs and symptoms, parents are contacted and given a letter from the health district,” Markaryan said. “They are asked to take that letter to their doctor.”

Those at greatest risk of becoming infected are people with close contact to someone with pertussis, such as household members, or anyone who spends an extended period of time in close proximity to someone with pertussis. Those who share personal care items (towels, toothbrushes, lip gloss, etc.) or eating utensils are also at risk of infection.

“We are concerned because of the number of cases. The largest danger is to infants, because they are at risk for severe infection, and have not yet been vaccinated for pertussis due to their young age,” Kitsap Public Health Officer Dr. Susan Turner said in a press release.

Whooping cough can be a very serious disease for infants younger than one year. The disease can easily spread through droplets carried by the air from a sick person during talking, sneezing or coughing. The illness starts with symptoms similar to a common cold. Children suffering from whooping cough often develop coughing fits, especially at night, giving a high-pitched “whoop” sound. The “whoop” is a sign that the person is struggling to breathe between coughs. The disease can be very severe and, although deaths are rare, they do occur, especially in infants less than one year of age.

The most effective way to prevent pertussis is through vaccination. Vaccinated children and adults can become infected with and transmit pertussis; however, disease is less likely to be severe. Vaccination of pregnant women with Tdap is especially important to help protect infants.

Pertussis is generally treated with antibiotics, which are used to control the symptoms and to prevent infected people from spreading the disease.