2 more whooping cough cases reported near Philly

    Another suburban Philadelphia school is reporting an outbreak of whooping cough.

    The West Chester Area School District this week confirmed a second case of the infection known as pertussis at Hillsdale Elementary School in East Bradford.

    Whooping cough is a contagious bacterial disease that in rare cases can be fatal. It starts off like a cold but leads to severe coughing that can last for weeks.

    Chester County health officials consider two or more cases at a school to be an outbreak. Those without the pertussis vaccination cannot attend classes for 21 days.

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    Two cases were reported last week at Great Valley High School in nearby Malvern.

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