Since the beginning of 2024, more than 1,200 cases of whooping cough have been observed in Estrie. For comparison, the CIUSSS indicated in 2019 that the annual average of whooping cough cases in Estrie was around a dozen.
“We’re talking about about 40 cases per week. Since the start of the school year, the situation has been stable,” notes Dr. Aminata Amada Ndour, resident in public health and preventive medicine at the University of Sherbrooke.
In a communication sent Tuesday morning to parents of students attending an establishment of the Centre de services scolaire de la Région-de-Sherbrooke, including The Tribune obtained a copy, the national director of public health, Dr. Luc Boileau, warns against a “resurgence of whooping cough in Quebec.”
“Whooping cough outbreaks have been reported to the Ministry of Health and Social Services in several regions,” writes Dr. Boileau.
The majority of people affected in the province are young people aged 10 to 14, he adds. At the CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS, it was impossible to have, as of Tuesday, the number of outbreaks or the profile of the people most affected by whooping cough. In May, however, the establishment specified that 10-14 year olds were the most affected in the region.
“As the disease is circulating in the community, outbreaks in primary and secondary schools are anticipated at the start of the school year,” Dr. Boileau said in his letter.
A letter signed by Luc Boileau was sent to parents of children attending a CSSRS school on Tuesday. (Graham Hughes/Canadian Press Archives)
Instructions
The removal of a child with whooping cough is mandatory in daycare centers, but not in schools, recalls Dr. Ndour.
“They are advised to wear a mask during the contagious period. Someone who has whooping cough is considered contagious for up to five days after starting antibiotic treatment,” she says.
For his part, Dr. Luc Boileau indicates in his letter that the mask is also recommended in the presence of cough, nasal congestion or sore throat. He also notes that it is advisable to stay home in case of fever.
The bacteria that causes whooping cough can cause “serious complications” for “premature babies, children under 6 months, children 6 to 12 months who have not received the first three doses of the vaccine [contre la coqueluche] and the unborn children of pregnant women who are at the end of their pregnancy,” Public Health indicated earlier this year.
Because of its long duration, which can extend over several weeks, the disease is easily transmitted between members of the same family or young people attending the same school.
Symptoms may include runny nose, coughing, vomiting, or low-grade fever, among others.
The CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS advises people who have worsening whooping cough symptoms to consult their family doctor or contact 811.
“A doctor or health professional authorized to make a diagnosis can prescribe a screening test if necessary,” emphasizes Dr. Aminata Amada Ndour.
Hand washing, wearing masks and getting vaccinated are practices encouraged to reduce the spread.
