A Catholic school in Houston had to close early for the Christmas break because several students and a few staff have come down with whooping cough.
The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston says the first confirmed case of whooping cough at St. Theresa Catholic School near Memorial Park was confirmed December 4th.
School officials sent a letter to parents advising them there are now seven confirmed cases on the campus.
The Houston Health Department and the Texas Department of State Health Services are looking into the outbreak.
Whooping cough, or pertussis, can take up to three weeks from the time of contracting the illness before symptoms appear.