Whooping Cough proving to be persistent for Northwest

As we mentioned back in March, Northern Health had outlined their concern over the growing numbers of outbreaks of pertussis or Whooping Cough in the region, issuing their first advisory at that time as to the steps Northwest residents should take regarding the outbreak.

Those concerns continue on into May, after the release of numbers to April, a review which shows that reports of the outbreak continue to increase with 47 cases of pertussis accounted to April 30th.

Prince Rupert has had four thus far, but the real area of concern for the moment is on Haida Gwaii.

On the Islands,  21 cases have been reported in Masset, with another 22 recorded for Queen Charlotte City.

Twenty one of the reported cases have been lab confirmed, while the other twenty six are considered probable.

The majority of the reported cases involve young children and youth, though there have been reports of some adult cases as well.

Northern Health outlined the background on the outbreak and some items for parents to make note of with this Advisory Note.

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention also has a helpful review of the signs and symptoms of Pertussis, you can read up on it from this link to the CDC site.

For More items of interest regarding Northern Health and its programs see our archive pages.