Whooping cough on the rise in Manitoba

Cases of whooping cough are on the rise in Manitoba, and parents are being reminded to get their kids vaccinated against the infection.

According to chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba is starting to see pre-pandemic levels of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, which is a bacterial infection that spreads easily from person to person through coughing and sneezing.

As of Thursday morning, there have been 46 confirmed and probable cases of whooping cough in the province so far this year.

“Certainly numbers that we’ve seen pre-pandemic, but because this is so easily spread and certainly can be quite severe to those at risk, especially those under a year old, also pregnant individuals in their third trimester [are] significantly at risk for this,” Roussin said.

Roussin said Manitoba has had high rates of whooping cough in the past, including years with more than 100 cases.

However, he said, the concern is that the vaccine uptake was “compromised” over the pandemic.

“This is National Immunization Awareness Week, so we’re out. This is another great reason to ensure you and your children are up-to-date with vaccines,” Roussin said.

Whooping cough symptoms appear between seven to 10 days after being exposed to the germ.

These symptoms start off similar to a cold with a mild fever, runny nose, and a cough.

From there, the infection changes into a severe cough, with whooping between coughs. This cough can last for six to 12 weeks, and is more common in young children than adolescents and adults.

“We can see severe complications, respiratory complications, [including] pneumonia, neurologic complications, swelling around the brain,” Roussin said.

“So it can be quite severe, especially for those youngsters.”

Amongst those who are at an increased risk for whooping cough are pregnant women in their third trimester and newborn babies. This is why Roussin recommends those who are pregnant to get vaccinated between 27 and 32 weeks.

“We recommend that to all pregnant women. That protects both them and their newborn baby,” he said.

Roussin said parents should ensure their kids are up-to-date on the child immunization schedule, as it’s designed to protect kids against the most common and most severe infections that are vaccine preventable.

“We know vaccines save lives and protect ourselves. They protect people around us,” he said.

“We’re really encouraging people to stay up-to-date on those.”

- With files from CTV’s Rachel Lagace.