After three years without a case on the North Shore, whooping cough is experiencing an upsurge in cases. As of June 17, 28 cases have been confirmed on the North Shore in the MRCs of Manicouagan and Sept-Rivières since June 3.
Whooping cough is a cyclical disease. “In Quebec and elsewhere in the world, there is an upsurge in whooping cough every 3 to 5 years, and the last one took place in 2019,” mentions Jean-Christophe Beaulieu, spokesperson for the CISSS de la Côte-Nord. “The current resurgence, which began at the beginning of 2024, is expected.”
“The last significant peak of activity recorded in the region dates back to the period from 2017 to 2018 when 155 cases were recorded,” reports the CISSS spokesperson.
At least one case at school
On June 7, the Department of Public Health’s infectious diseases team sent a letter to parents and staff at Jean-du-Nord and Manikoutai secondary schools. A case of whooping cough was confirmed in one of these establishments. This is the first time that the director of the Fer School Service Center (CSS du Fer) Richard Poirier has been arrested for a case of whooping cough.
The director affirms that for the moment, no universal protection measures have been put in place. He said he had no instructions regarding wearing a mask.
Contagion
This bacterial disease of the respiratory tract which begins with a cold is followed by persistent and uncontrollable coughing fits which can lead to vomiting. Contagiousness begins when cold symptoms begin. Whooping cough is spread by droplets when coughing and sneezing. The illness lasts approximately six to ten weeks.
Even if the disease is contagious, no particular protective measures are put in place. No measures are required for contact cases who do not present compatible symptoms. “If you have a cough, it is recommended to wear a mask,” specifies the CISSS spokesperson. “Considering that there are cases in schools, it is recommended that people who attend this environment be vigilant as soon as the first symptoms appear and consult a doctor, bringing the letter with them.”
A vaccinated or unvaccinated person who presents symptoms must stay at home and seek medical care. If a test comes back positive, the sick person should stay home for five days after starting treatment or, if untreated, for three weeks after the cough begins.
Vaccination is recommended for children and pregnant women (ideally between 26 and 32 weeks). A vaccinated person can get the disease, but in this case the symptoms are often less severe. Complications are more serious and more common in children under one year of age.
Measles
Last March, measles, a serious and highly contagious disease, experienced an outbreak in Quebec. As of June 17, there are a total of 51 cases in 7 regions of the province, but no cases have been recorded on the North Shore. Unlike whooping cough, preventive measures are put in place to avoid transmission. For example, if a case is reported in a school, an unvaccinated child who attends the same school environment could be temporarily removed from school until the outbreak is over.
The symptoms of measles are fever, cough, nasal congestion with runny nose, conjunctivitis, eyes sensitive to light and has the particularity of having as symptoms pimples, redness, which appear on the face then on the body.
