Families in east central Saskatchewan are encouraged to be aware of a highly contagious infection called pertussis, also known as whooping cough.
Whooping cough gets its name from the gasping sound a person with whooping cough makes after coughing, other symptoms can include nasal congestion, extreme fatigue, vomiting, and can even be fatal.
Dr. David Torr, medical health officer with the Saskatchewan Health Authority and Area Department Lead for the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine for the Integrated Rural Area, noted that the best precautions are ensuring your vaccine is up to date, keeping hands clean, and coughing into your arm.
"Whooping cough has its cycles, so there's times when we see less of the infection and then after some years, we start to see it escalating again," he said. "In the eastern part of the country they are seeing more and more cases of pertussis."
Unlike the common cold which lasts about a week, whooping cough usually lasts several months and can be quite painful.
"Everybody who's not immunized is certainly at risk," Dr. Torr shared. "It's very communal in spreading, so in schools, sports, and activities where people get together you can easily see quick spreading of whopping cough when it does occur."
While Saskatchewan has been vigilant and only seen a few sporadic cases, eastern Canada has seen a significant spike in cases of whopping cough.