Case of whooping cough confirmed at junior high school in Dartmouth
Public Health has notified school and is identifying close contacts of infected person
Nova Scotia Health has confirmed a case of whooping cough at a school in Dartmouth, N.S.
Staff and families of Caledonia Junior High have been notified and the health authority is working with the infected person to identify more close contacts, the authority said in a statement to CBC News.
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a vaccine-preventable respiratory infection and the risk of school-aged children and adults becoming seriously ill is low, Dr. Cristin Muecke, regional medical officer of health, said in the statement.
People who are vaccinated against the illness are considered well protected, but babies who are too young to be vaccinated are at highest risk of severe illness, the statement said.
Whooping cough spreads easily from person to person through the air when someone who is infected coughs or sneezes.
Symptoms of pertussis include:
- Deep rapid coughing followed by a "whoop" sound.
- Vomiting after coughing.
- Coughing that is most severe at night.
- Apnea (periods of not breathing) in babies.
Nova Scotians can access their vaccine records at vaxrecordns.nshealth.ca, the statement said. More information about whooping cough can be found on the health authority's website.
