OCONEE COUNTY — Oconee school officials have confirmed one case of whooping cough in a Seneca school, and tests will determine if the threat has spread.

Kay Powell, public information director for the School District of Oconee County, said Tuesday that one student at Seneca’s Northside Elementary School had been diagnosed with the disease, also known as pertussis.

The student, whose name and age are being withheld by officials, had contact with another child, and that child is being tested, Powell said.

The results should be known within 24 hours, she said.

Powell said letters describing whopping cough, its symptoms and its treatments went out to parents of Northside students on Tuesday, and if the tests are positive in the second instance, more letters would be sent out.

“The first symptoms are a lot a cold,” Powell said. “If parents see the symptoms, such as a mild fever, runny nose or continued severe cough, they should seek medical attention.”

Whooping cough is treated with antibiotics, the course of treatment lasting about five days.

According to health department reports, whooping cough is an acute, infectious disease caused by bacteria and occurs throughout the world.

The availability of a vaccine has reduced the number of deaths from what was once a major cause of childhood deaths from more than 200,000 per year to an average of 4,400 per year.

A vaccination is available for children 6 years old and under and is required for children attending school and daycare in South Carolina.