Whooping cough in Canada: Outbreaks or case increases reported in these provinces

Canadian health officials say they're seeing spikes in whooping cough cases in parts of the country as the U.S. deals with case numbers not seen in more than a decade.

Whooping cough is being reported in higher-than-usual numbers in parts of Canada this year, health officials tell CTVNews.ca.

Cases of whooping cough – also known as pertussis or the 100-day cough – are increasing in several provinces and territories, a spokesperson for Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada said in an email Friday.

Health Canada describes the illness as a contagious lung and airway infection. It’s caused by the bordetella pertussis bacteria, which is spread through droplets in the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

Joshua Coke said some increased activity was not unexpected post-pandemic, as case numbers reached record lows between 2020 and 2022. But, he said, cases in five provinces have now surpassed the pre-pandemic peak.

The provinces seeing more cases this year than they have in the past are Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Canadian health officials have reported 19,000 cases of pertussis so far this year, Coke said. In addition to the provinces seeing a higher-than-usual number of cases, outbreaks or increases have been noted in Alberta, British Columbia and Nunavut.

According to a Health Canada’s website last updated in January 2020, the country typically sees 1,000 to 3,000 cases a year.