Whooping cough cases more than double pre-pandemic average: TPH

Toronto Public Health says the number of whooping cough cases in Toronto are more than double the pre-pandemic average.

The public health agency is reporting 99 cases so far this year compared to the pre-pandemic five-year average of 38.

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a cyclical disease that occasionally increases every two to six years in Ontario.

It is a highly-contagious, persistent cough that’s of most concern for infants. Toronto Public Health (TPH) says 41 per cent of cases are found in 10 to 14-year-olds.

Last week, New Brunswick health officials said a whooping cough outbreak had spread across the province, pointing to 141 reported cases so far this year.

That well-exceeded the province’s annual average of 34 cases.