The silence before weekly Mass for students at St. Stanislaus has been disturbed by children coughing for weeks.

What was mostly ignored as late cold and flu or seasonal allergies became apparent when Cole County Health Department officials toured the school, resulting in Mass cancellation Friday and school closure Monday and Tuesday.

Pertussis, or whooping cough, has been confirmed in five cases from two Cole County schools, said Ivah Scott, health department director.

Another 10 cases are pending, Scott said.

Mark Veit, St. Stanislaus principal, said he encouraged families to use the daytime hours to have children with symptoms tested by a physician.

Monday notes were sent home, informing families of a confirmed case in the school, Veit said. After additional confirmed cases, health department officials toured the school Friday.

During the tour, health officials heard several students with a concerning cough, Veit said. Their parents were telephoned Friday.

An additional letter was sent to staff and students who had high exposure to the confirmed cases, Veit said.

Blair Oaks Schools pursued the same notification process after the two cases were confirmed at their school, said Jim Jones, superintendent. His staff will monitor for further indications, he said.

Taking off school for two days may not help calm the bacteria's cycle, Veit said. But some students were alarmed and the time off allows custodial and kitchen staff to sterilize the facility, he said.

Most importantly, the free time during the day would allow parents to secure doctor's appointments, Veit said.

Dr. Lora Bias Folz, director of pediatrics at Jefferson City Medical Group, said the closure was a wise decision.

Her office saw 10-15 patients Friday for a pertussis test, Folz said. Monday, received a large number of telephone calls, she said.

Patients who may have pertussis should wear a mask into physician's offices to protect other patients with lowered immunities, Folz said.

Pertussis tests will be fit in to the office schedules, Folz said. The test is a swab inside the nose. Results should be returned from the State Health Lab within 24 hours, she said.

After testing, Folz recommends quarrantine until the results are confirmed.

If the result is positive, quarrantine should continue for five days with antibiotics, Folz said. Without antibiotics, confirmed students should remain at home for 21 days, she said.

The current confirmed cases are about two and one-half times the number Cole County would see in a year, Scott said.

Private physicians and laboratories will report confirmed cases to the county.

One confirmed case of whooping cough was reported around December at Simonsen Ninth-Grade Center, said Dawne Wiseman, lead nurse for Jefferson City Public Schools.

Folz and other health officials will discuss the situation further this afternoon.

For more information, call (573) 636-2181 or visit www.909shot.com or www.cdc.gov or www.pertussis.com.

See also:

Facts on pertussis or whooping cough

Contact reporter Michelle Reagan at mreagan@newstribune.com.