Portland State cancels game vs. South Dakota due to whooping cough

Posted by author September 14, 2024 Sports

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Portland State had to cancel its Week 3 game against South Dakota. (Photo by Oliver McKenna/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Portland State announced Saturday that its game against South Dakota is canceled because of whooping cough.

The school didn’t announce how many players had gotten sick, but did say that no players were seriously ill as of Saturday.

“A case of pertussis (whooping cough) got into the Viking team two days ago,” a PSU statement said. “Pertussis is a highly contagious disease that affects the lungs. As a result, many team members have been exposed to the disease. The two programs and their team doctors have been in discussions regarding the situation. It was determined by Portland State that the game would not be played in the interest of the health of the student-athletes.”

Pertussis is transmitted through the air and people can be contagious for at least two weeks after they start coughing, according to the CDC. The CDC also recommends that everyone gets a whooping cough vaccine if they haven’t already received one.

The game was set to be the second game of the season against an FCS opponent for the Vikings. Portland State played Washington State in Week 1 and is set to travel to Boise State on Sept. 21, assuming the team has enough healthy players for the game to be played. South Dakota played at Wisconsin in Week 2 and is at home vs. Drake in Week 4.