55 confirmed cases of whooping cough since outbreak, says N.W.T. chief health officer

The whooping cough outbreak in Yellowknife and the Tch regionof the Northwest Territories remains ongoing, despite a decline in new cases in the last month.

Dr. Kami Kandola, the Northwest Territories chief public health officer, says since the start of the outbreak, there have been62 possible cases of whooping cough, also known aspertussis, in the designated areas.Fifty-five of those cases have beenconfirmed by medical authorities.

Kandola says the week of Jan. 12 included themost new cases of whooping cough at12,but health authorities are still reporting positive cases.

Whooping cough is a contagious infection in the lungs caused by bacteria in the mouth, nose and throat.Kandola says health care workers have given 800 doses of the pertussis-containing vaccine since the start of the outbreak.

Symptoms of whooping coughinclude:

• 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

Vaccine available

Whooping cough is preventable with a vaccine, according to the N.W.T. Health Department. Residents can get the free vaccine from their health care provider.

The department says the whooping cough vaccine is safe and effective.

Immunitymay fade over time, so booster shots are offeredevery 10 years. Pregnant women should get an immunization between 27 and 28 weeks of pregnancy, regardless of when they last had a booster shot,says the advisory.

• 8 cases of whooping cough confirmed in N.W.T.'s Tlicho region

The Health Department said people who suspect they have whooping cough should notify their health care provider and stay at home.

In 2015, there were21 confirmed cases ofwhooping coughin the Northwest Territories: includingin the Tch region, Hay River, Yellowknife and the Beaufort Delta region. At the time, the office of the chief public health officer said the majority of thosecases were linked to travel outside the N.W.T.