Expert: A jump in whooping cough cases
“Whooping cough cases are on the rise in Canada, with some provinces reporting sharp increases compared to pre-pandemic averages. More than 11,670 cases have been reported in Quebec so far this year, a significant jump from the annual average of 562 cases between 2015 and 2019.” ()
Here is an expert from ƻԺ who can comment on this issue:
Jesse Papenburg, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics
“Outbreaks of whooping cough, a respiratory infection caused by Bordetella pertussis, occur every three to five years. Infants in their first months of life are at risk of severe whooping cough, which can lead to hospitalization or death. The best way to prevent severe disease is through pertussis vaccination in the third trimester of pregnancy and timely routine infant pertussis vaccinations.”
Jesse Papenburg is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and an infectious disease specialist and medical microbiologist at the Montreal Children’s Hospital. His research focuses on the epidemiology, surveillance, and diagnosis of severe viral respiratory infections among children.
jesse.papenburg [at] mcgill.ca (English, French)