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BURLINGTON — The Alamance County Health Department continued on Friday to investigate a suspected case of pertussis at Western Alamance Middle School.

The health department staff reported that it had made contact with about 95 percent of affected parents and staff members. Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, is a bacterial infection that often starts with typical cold symptoms and usually develops into prolonged bursts of coughing, often with a whooping noise at the end. The person usually feels well between attacks.

Health department officials discovered that students were posting information about their health status, which may or may not be accurate, as well as the condition of others through text message, Facebook and Twitter. Parents are strongly advised to monitor texting and social media activity to limit the spread of inaccurate information that may affect the investigation.

Lab results for the suspected case are still pending and are expected to be released sometime after Monday.

If your child develops symptoms, including a runny nose and cough, please take your child to their doctor for an evaluation.

For additional information or specific questions, please call the Alamance County Health Department Communicable Disease Hotline at 336-516-7715. If you are unable to reach a nurse on duty, please leave a message and your contact number. Your call will be returned as soon as possible.