Kalispell Middle School officials notified parents Wednesday of a confirmed case of pertussis (whooping cough) adding one more to the 70 cases in Flathead County so far this year.

This case marks the first in the new school year after the outbreak that affected Kalispell Middle School and several elementary schools last spring.

Health officials do not think that this represents a continuation of that event.

“It’s appearing that this case was acquired out of the area,” said Jody White, director of Community Health Services. “We’re hopeful that we are starting to get control of what’s spreading here. We still want everybody to be really aware and going in [for testing] if they have symptoms of pertussis.”

Early symptoms of whooping cough mimic a common cold with coughing. The cough gradually becomes worse with spasms that may lead to vomiting or the characteristic, high-pitched whoop.

White did not know if the infected student had been immunized for pertussis.

A private medical provider administered the test that proved positive.

According to White, sporadic cases of pertussis cropped up over the summer, including one in August that shut down the city of Whitefish day camp. White said the summer patients with pertussis were in several age groups but primarily were adults.

“The last couple we’ve had have been adults,” she said.

The Kalispell Middle School email said the school’s protocol was to identify the student’s close friends and classmates, along with those who rode on the same bus, and provide those names to the Flathead City-County Health Department.

As of Wednesday afternoon, White said she did not have a count of how many students were exposed. White expected to have the names this morning.

“We’ll be contacting each of those families individually,” she said.

Health officials ask them to contact their health care providers for a course of antibiotics which, when completed, keeps a person from spreading pertussis to others.

Providers usually prescribe a 5-day course of zithromycin known as a z-pack.

According to the school email from Principal Tryg Johnson, school officials will require students exempted from pertussis immunization to stay home until finishing the five-day course of antibiotics or to stay home for 21 days.

Since the outbreak of pertussis, more people including many adults have been coming in for vaccinations against the disease that poses a threat to newborn infants. White said that local health-care providers, particularly those working with pregnant women and their families, have done a good job of encouraging vaccination.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.