Rise in Whooping Cough Cases Across Canada
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Ottawa, Dec 28 (NationPress) Reports indicate a surge in whooping cough, also referred to as pertussis or the 100-day cough, across various provinces and territories in Canada, as highlighted by local media.
Health authorities in Canada have documented 19,000 cases of pertussis so far in this year, significantly higher than the typical 1,000 to 3,000 cases observed annually, according to a report by CTV News.
Dr. Theresa Tam, the chief public health officer of Canada, identified whooping cough as one of her primary health concerns as the country approaches 2025.
Tam noted that whooping cough had been effectively managed through vaccinations for many years, and one contributing factor to its resurgence could be the disruption in routine childhood vaccinations caused by the pandemic, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
In Canada, whooping cough is classified as a 'nationally notifiable disease' and is monitored by the Canadian Notifiable Disease Surveillance System, established to track the transmission of infectious diseases, as reported by CTV News.
This highly contagious respiratory infection is characterized in many individuals by a severe hacking cough, followed by a high-pitched intake of breath resembling a 'whoop'.
Historically regarded as a childhood illness before the vaccine was created, whooping cough now primarily impacts children who are too young to have completed their full vaccination schedule, as well as adolescents and adults whose immunity has waned.
Although fatalities linked to whooping cough are uncommon, they typically occur in infants. This underscores the importance of vaccinating pregnant women and others who may have close contact with infants against whooping cough.
Once infected, symptoms of whooping cough generally take around seven to 10 days to manifest, although it may sometimes take longer. Initial symptoms are often mild and mimic those of a common cold:
After a week or two, symptoms tend to worsen, with thick mucus building up in the airways, leading to uncontrollable coughing.
It's worth noting that many individuals may not experience the characteristic whoop; in some cases, a persistent hacking cough may be the sole indicator of whooping cough in adolescents or adults.
