Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

Whooping cough: Doctors explain which symptoms to watch for as cases rise

Share

Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough or the 100-day cough, is spreading across Canada at a concerning rate, according to public health officials.

A bacterial infection that attacks your respiratory tract, pertussis can be difficult to detect during the early days of infection, according to pediatric infectious disease specialists.

Pediatrician Dr. Anna Banerji tells Â鶹ӰÊÓ that "you can have someone with cold-like symptoms – when it's actually pertussis – and they could be spreading it."

Infections can lead to a debilitating chronic cough, and early detection and antibiotics are key to beating back the disease quickly, doctors tell Â鶹ӰÊÓ.

According to , symptoms begin with a mild respiratory illness, which progresses to prolonged cough episodes, which may lead to vomiting. It can also lead to hemorrhages in your eyes, burst blood vessels, or even broken ribs in children, according to infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch.

"It's not common but there's also mortality associated with (pertussis), as well," Bogoch notes.

Canada's routine immunization program for children does protect against pertussis, though with cases surging across Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada, doctors say the message for Canadians is clear: make sure you're up to date with your vaccines.

If you don't have a family doctor "you can go to a public health specialist, there are public health clinics that are all over the country," adds Bogoch. He goes on to say "this vaccine is free, it's readily available and it does a good job to reduce the risk of infection."

The disease is most dangerous for young children, especially those who haven't completed all of their vaccines. However, doctors are quick to point out that anyone at any age can contract pertussis and it's important to have a discussion with your health-care provider. 

Correction

This story has been corrected to refer to whooping cough as a disease.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

How to win the fight with kids over phone use

The end of the day — when school, extracurricular activities and homework are (hopefully) finally done — is the window that many kids have for downtime. It can be a struggle to convince them not to go on their phones.

Local Spotlight

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.