Another case of whooping cough has been confirmed on the Jersey Shore.

The Jackson School District said a student was diagnosed with the illness also known as Pertussis at the McAuliffe Middle School on Thursday and "is receiving the appropriate treatment and — when he or she returns to school — he or she will no longer be contagious."

Four cases of whooping cough were confirmed in three Millstone schools this week. Multiple cases have also been reported in Lakewood and Freehold during the past few months.

Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory disease that causes uncontrollable, violent coughing which often makes it hard to breathe, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Symptoms are often cold-like and begin with a mild cough or fever and can include a runny nose, low-grade fever and a a mild, occasional cough. In babies, it can cause a pause in breathing called an apnea, according to the CDC. The fits of coughing, vomiting and exhaustion after the coughing fits come as the disease progresses. Recovery from whooping cough is slow.

The CDC says pertussis can affect people of all ages, but can be very serious and even deadly, for babies.

The best prevention against whooping cough is the vaccine DTap, combination vaccine that helps protect against three diseases: diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. according to the CDC.

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