Health unit confirms 12 cases of whooping cough

Twelve local residents have been diagnosed with whooping cough.

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The Brant County Health Unit said the number of cases of pertussis – commonly called whooping cough – is significantly higher than what is typical for the community.

There hasn’t been a confirmed case of pertussis in Brantford-Brant since 2020.

The ages of the affected people range from under a year to 41. All 12 cases were acquired from within the community and occurred within the past two months, said the health unit in a news release on Wednesday.

“Pertussis is a serious illness, but it’s very much preventable,” said Dr. Rebecca Comley, Brant’s medical officer of health. “It is particularly dangerous for babies and young children. I urge residents of Brantford-Brant to ensure they and their children are up to date with the vaccines included in Ontario’s publicly funded immunization schedule so we can protect those most vulnerable in our community.”

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Pertussis is a disease of the respiratory tract that makes it hard to clear mucus from the throat and lungs. It’s caused by bacteria. Pertussis can occur at any age and some groups are more vulnerable to severe infection, including infants under one year of age.

It typically takes six to 20 days to develop pertussis symptoms after coming into contact with an infected person.

Pertussis symptoms may include:

• The cough becoming more frequent and severe.

• Coughing spells may end in gagging, vomiting or trouble breathing.

• Sometimes after a coughing attack, the person may give a loud “whoop” sound when breathing in.

Pertussis is spread through the air or by touching things an infected person has touched. Those with pertussis are contagious from the time they have the first symptoms until three weeks after the coughing attacks start or five days after effective treatment.

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If you suspect your child may have pertussis, speak to a primary healthcare provider about testing and medical treatment.

“Pertussis is a vaccine-preventable disease,” Comley said. “You can protect yourself and your children against pertussis by staying up to date on your routine immunizations. For the best and continuing protection, multiple doses of pertussis-containing vaccines are recommended throughout your lifetime as outlined in Ontario’s publicly funded immunization schedule.

Vaccination against pertussis, as well as several other diseases of public health significance, is a requirement under the School Pupils Act for children to attend school or daycare.

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