MANKATO, Minn. -- The Minnesota Department of Health has informed Mankato Area Public Schools of a confirmed case of whooping cough.
An informational letter about whooping cough, also known as pertussis, was sent home Tuesday with all students at Franklin Elementary School.
The Health Department says there have been no recent outbreaks in Mankato, but several have occurred elsewhere in the state since last fall.
The department says the outbreaks highlight the need for booster vaccines for adolescents.
Whooping cough symptoms are similar to a cold with a cought, but after a week or more the cough worsens and begins to occur in sudden, uncontrollable bursts.
Pertussis is treated with antibiotics.
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