After not having a single case of pertussis — known as whopping cough — in the community since 2020, the Brant County Health Unit now says it has confirmed 12 cases in the past two months.
The ages of the infected people range from 0 to 41, according to a media release from the health unit.
Three of the cases identified were classified as community spread. The nine other cases were close contacts of the initial cases.
Dr. Rebecca Comley, the health unit’s Medical Officer of Health, told CBC News the increase isn’t just happening in Brant County and Brantford, Ont.
There have been whooping cough outbreaks in Alberta and New Brunswick, as well as an uptick in cases in other parts of the country this year.
The local health unit says bacteria causes whooping cough, which makes it hard to clear mucus from the throat and lungs.
It takes between six and 20 days to develop whooping cough symptoms after coming into contact with an infected person.
It spreads through the air or by touching things infected people have touched.
People with whooping cough are contagious from the onset of symptoms until three weeks after the coughing attacks start or five days after effective treatment, according to the health unit.
Symptoms include:
- Runny nose and cough.
- The cough becoming more frequent and severe.
- Coughing spells may end in gagging, vomiting or trouble breathing.
- Sometimes after a coughing attack, the individual may give a loud “whoop” sound when breathing in.
Comley said decreased vaccination rates are a likely contributor to the number of cases. Young infants are the most vulnerable to severe illness, she said.
Comley added vaccinations for whooping cough are included in routine immunizations during pregnancy and for children.
“We can protect ourselves and our children … by staying up to date with routine immunizations,” she said.