N.B. top doc urges safe holiday practices amid provincewide whooping cough outbreak

As of Dec. 12, 831 cases of whooping cough (Pertussis) had been recorded throughout New Brunswick, making it the largest outbreak the province has seen since a spread in 2012 that infected more than 1.400 people.

The outbreak was first declared on June 27 for the Acadian Peninsula when 11 cases were confirmed within a two-week period. The outbreak grew to infect 141 people by late August, leading to the declaration of a provincewide outbreak. In a few months, the number of cases has more then tripled.

The majority of cases (64.6 per cent) have come from Zone 1, which encompasses Moncton, Salisbury, Shediac and other municipalities. Zone 6, which includes Bathurst, Tracadie and Caraquet, has made up for 14.3 per cent of all cases. All seven health zones have had several reported cases of whooping cough.

“Every five-to-seven years or so we tend to see an increase in pertussis activity,” says New Brunswick’s Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Yves Léger. “Our last provincial outbreak was back in 2012 so we're certainly well past that five-to-seven year mark. As we were seeing increases in pertussis activity across the country earlier this year, we were certainly expecting to see a similar increase occurring here.”

Whooping cough, also known as the “100-day cough,” starts with symptoms such as congestion, some fatigue and a mild cough, making if difficult to detect. After a week, more intense symptoms appear, including serious coughing spells that can make a high pitch “whooping sound”.

Over the past five years, the province has averaged 38 cases per calendar year. In 2019, 83 cases were reported, followed by 100 in 2020. From 2021 to 2023, seven cases or fewer were recorded across the province.

Dr. Léger says the best way to prevent against the illness is by keeping up to date with your vaccinations.

“You're going to certainly reduce your risk of getting it,” Dr. Léger says. “And if you do end up getting pertussis, it will likely reduce the severity of the symptoms. Groups that we are most concerned about during this outbreak are those newborns and those very young infants, especially those that are too young to receive their full series of pertussis vaccines. They are really the most at risk of being severely ill from pertussis and even being hospitalized or even dying.”

To date, four people have been hospitalized due to whooping cough in the province. No deaths have been recorded.

Dr. Léger says practicing measures used during the COVID-19 pandemic like regular hand washing and mask wearing are good ways to protect yourself and others.

Dr. Léger says it is difficult to predict what the situation will be following the holidays. Disease activity normally comes down when herd immunity has been achieved, which he says will happen either through vaccinations or enough people catching the illness over time.

“We'll have to keep a close eye on it after the holidays to see how it goes,” he says.

Dr. Léger notes other illnesses like COVID-19 are also currently on the rise. He advises residents who feel unwell over the holidays to stay home and rest to reduce spreading any illnesses.

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