A whooping cough outbreak has been declared in northern Alberta. Alberta Health Services says 182 cases have been confirmed in its North Zone so far this year, accounting for about half of the cases in the entire province. The number has been steadily increasing, and three people have been hospitalized.
Formally known as pertussis, whooping cough is a bacterial infection that causes a severe cough that can last for weeks. It can also lead to pneumonia and brain damage.
AHS is urging residents to get immunized, especially infants and pre-school aged children who aren’t up to date on their shots, along with their caregivers, health care workers, and pregnant women in their third trimester.
