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The number of whooping cough cases in Quebec has topped 6,000 since the start of the year, according to data from the Quebec Health Ministry.
As of July 6, the province reported 6,016 cases, including 453 in Montreal. The highest number of cases in any region of Quebec was in the Beauce, near Quebec City, with 948 so far in 2024. The Eastern Townships has seen 810 cases.
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The number of reported whooping cough cases in the entire province usually ranges between 240 and 1,600 a year.
Whooping cough is a cyclical endemic disease that sees peaks every two to five years, Health Ministry spokesperson Marie-Christine Patry said in an email. The next update on the number of cases is expected late Friday, she added.
The last major outbreak in the province was in 2019, when 1,259 cases were confirmed.
In an interview with Le Devoir this week, the province’s public health director, Luc Boileau, said the number of hospitalizations for whooping cough remains low. He also said there have been no deaths.
Montreal public health authorities warned parents in June about an increase in whooping cough cases in schools. In a note sent to parents at the time, Montreal public health director Mylène Drouin said cases had been confirmed in elementary schools and high schools. Drouin advised that vaccination is the best way to protect against whooping cough.
The vaccine is free and can be booked through the Clic Santé portal (clicsante.ca) under the category “adult vaccinations.”
Whooping cough is considered a highly contagious disease, characterized by violent coughing fits. It is caused by a bacterium that spreads through droplets projected into the air by someone with the disease, such as when they cough or sneeze.
The early symptoms of the disease usually resemble a cold and may include a low-grade fever, runny nose, red and watery eyes and coughing. After seven to 14 days, the cough intensifies and becomes more frequent. As well, a high-pitched intake of breath that sounds like a “whoop” characterizes the disease.
Whooping cough typically lasts six to 10 weeks, although it can last longer than 10 weeks in adolescents.
The illness is most serious in babies younger than one year old. The cough may be mild or absent in babies that young. However, sometimes the main symptom in babies under one year old is apnea, which is the repeated cessation of breathing.
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