Residents advised to stay home after Nunavut declares whooping cough outbreak in Igloolik
Declaration comes after whooping cough found last week
Nunavut's Department of Health has declared a whooping cough outbreak in Igloolik and is telling residents in the community to stay home.
In a news release Monday, the department said Igloolik residents are "strongly advised" to avoid gatherings and take caution when travelling.
The outbreak comes after the department announced on Friday that whooping cough had been identified in the community.
Anyone can get whooping cough, but the most severe cases are in children under one, the release said.
Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a disease of the throat and lungs that spreads easily from person to person.
To prevent the spread, people who are even mildly ill should stay home and avoid contact with others until symptoms are gone.
People should call their health centre if they have any of the following: a cough that lasts longer than a week, a cough followed by a "whoop" sound, trouble breathing, vomiting after coughing, coughing that is worse at night and a high fever that lasts more than three days
Whooping cough can be prevented by getting vaccinated against it.