Whooping cough confirmed in Sanikiluaq

Whooping cough (pertussis) has been identified in Sanikiluaq, according to a government of Nunavut news release Thursday.

The Nunavut Health Department is not describing it as an outbreak, but asks parents to take precautions with the very young.

"Anyone can get whooping cough, but the most severe cases are in children under the age of one," the press release states.

Whooping cough is an infection of the throat and lungs and can be spread from person to person. The government asks anyone with mild symptoms, or with a child exhibitingsymptoms, to stay home and away from others until the symptoms are gone.

Anyone with the following symptoms should contact the health centre:

• A cough that lasts longer than a week.
• A cough followed by an unusual sound that sounds like "whoop."
• Trouble breathing.
• Vomiting after coughing.
• Coughing that is worse at night.
• A high fever (39 C and above) that lasts more than three days.

The whooping cough can be vaccinated against, but people should make sure their vaccines are up to date.

Besides getting vaccinated, precautions against the spread of whooping cough include:

• Frequent handwashing.
• Coughing into your sleeve or a tissue.
• Not sharing food, drinks, utensils or toothbrushes.