Whooping cough outbreak hits B.C.'s West Kootenay

An outbreak of whooping cough in B.C.'s West Kootenay region is raising concern that the low rate of immunization in the area could put the lives of some children at risk.

Health officials in the region said it has been two years since they have seen a case of whooping cough, butsuddenly there are 19 confirmed cases of the infectious bacterial disease, which is also known as pertussis.

Dr. Robert Parker, the medical health officer for the Kootenays, said the disease can linger for months causing a horrible cough, fever and gasping for breath.

He warns that severe infection of the throat and lungs can be fatal for infants.

"In Chinese folklore it's called the 100-day cough. The people who get into serious trouble are infants," said Parker.

Dr. Monica Naus, of the BC Centre for Disease Control, said what frustrates health officials is that whooping cough is largely preventable by immunization, but all of the confirmed cases so far have involvedchildren who were not immunized.

"I think they are taking a chance their child could get seriously ill. Who's at greatest risk are children in an outbreak community," Naus said.

Officials with Interior Health said the West Kootenay has the lowest immunization ratesin theregion, withabout one third of parents choosing not to get the free DTaP-IPV vaccine for their kids, compared withaboutone quarter for the rest ofthe region.

Interior Health and the BC Center for Disease Control are expected to announce a strategy to deal with the outbreak on Thursday.

"We're not seeing any activity yet in the East Kootenay or the Okanagan. It is spotted all over the West Kootenay. Whatever measures we have to take will affect the Kootenay Boundary [region]," said Parker.