A whooping cough outbreak declared on the Acadian Peninsula in June has been expanded to all of New Brunswick.
Health officials said Thursday it comes amid a higher number of cases than usual in multiple health regions.
“Public Health is monitoring the situation closely and working with health-care professionals, community partners and the public to decrease the risk,” Dr. Yves Léger, acting chief medical officer of health, said in a news release.
There have been 141 cases of whooping cough (pertussis) so far in 2024, well above the five-year average of 34 cases annually.
While most have been in the Bathurst and Acadian Peninsula region, more than half of the new cases in recent weeks are outside that region.
“The most effective way to reduce the risk of whooping cough is vaccination,” said Léger, adding that all New Brunswickers should ensure their immunization is up to date.
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Whooping cough can occur at any age, but Public Health said it is very serious in babies and young children, especially for those too young to be fully immunized.
The disease begins with cold-like symptoms, including sneezing, runny nose, low-grade fever and mild cough, and worsens over a period of several weeks to include serious coughing spells that often end with a “whoop” or high-pitched sound.
It is easily transmitted from person to person, mainly through droplets from the nose, mouth and throat of an infected person.
Whooping cough is diagnosed based on symptoms and lab tests and is treated with an antibiotic. Treatment can reduce the spread of infection and duration of illness if given early.
