An increase in pertussis cases is prompting one area health unit to issue an alert.
Elgin-St. Thomas Public Health issued the alert this weekend after noticing a rise in the number of cases reported over the past week.
Pertussis, or whooping cough, can spread easily through person-to-person contact by sneezing or coughing, according to the health unit. Symptoms often begin with mild cold-like symptoms such as a runny nose, then often progress with more severe coughing ending in vomiting or a whooping sound. The health unit says the symptoms can last weeks or even months in some patients.
Pertussis can be very serious for babies and for women in their final trimester of pregnancy. Infants and toddlers who are affected can be hospitalized for long periods of time because they are not yet strong enough to fight the infection, the health unit says.
To protect yourself, Elgin-St. Thomas Public Health suggests the following:
- See a doctor if you have a cough that sticks around for over two weeks or if you've spent time with someone who has pertussis
- If you have whooping cough, stay home. Do not go to school or work until you have finished five days of antibiotics or for 21 days after the symptoms begin
- Wash your hands thoroughly and cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough.
If you would like the whooping cough vaccine, you can get it from your doctor or clinic, or you can get it from the Elgin-St. Thomas Public Health unit free of charge.
To book an appointment, call (519) 631-9900 or click here.
