20 Dec 2024 | 08:42 AM UTC
Canada: Elevated pertussis activity reported in multiple areas in New Brunswick in December
Elevated pertussis activity reported in New Brunswick, Canada, in December. Confirm vaccination; use basic health precautions.
Health officials have reported elevated pertussis activity across multiple areas in New Brunswick, with 831 cases reported Jan. 1-Dec. 12. The current outbreak exceeds New Brunswick’s five-year average of 38 pertussis cases per year. Moncton region, Zone 1, is the most affected, accounting for roughly 65 percent of reported cases. Other affected areas include the Bathurst region, Zone 6 (14 percent), and the Edmundston region, Zone 4 (10 percent). Local health officials urge the public, especially expectant parents and anyone in close contact with babies and young children, to ensure that their pertussis vaccination is up to date. This report represents the most complete data available as of Dec. 20.
Visit a doctor to ensure vaccination against pertussis or immunity through previous infection. Practice basic health precautions. Call your medical provider if symptoms develop within three weeks of being in affected areas.
New Brunswick health officials declared an outbreak of pertussis for the entire province on Aug. 22, expanding on the outbreak initially declared in the Acadian Peninsula at the end of June 2024. Diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus (DPT) vaccination coverage in Canada is estimated at 94 percent in 2023, within the 92-94 percent required to prevent wider community transmission. Health officials reported 1,433 pertussis cases nationwide in Canada in 2023, 208 cases in 2022, 32 cases in 2021, and 955 cases in 2020.
Pertussis - also known as "whooping cough" - is a contagious respiratory illness caused by a type of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. The bacteria spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected individual coughs, sneezes, or speaks. Symptoms typically appear 5-10 days after exposure but can develop up to 21 days after exposure. Symptoms range from mild illness with low-grade fever and occasional coughing in the early stage to vomiting, exhaustion, and severe fits of rapid coughing later. Infants and children up to 4 years old are at highest risk and typically suffer the most severe symptoms.
