Alberta Health Services (AHS) says 16 people are sick with pertussis – better known as whooping cough – in several southern Alberta communities.
The agency says, as of Thursday, three of those patients are in hospital.
The areas impacted by the outbreak include Lethbridge County, Coaldale, Taber, Vauxhall, Grassy Lake and Bow Island.
Whooping cough is a bacterial infection with symptoms very similar to a cold or flu – runny nose, sneezing, fever and a mild cough – but the cough becomes much more severe as the illness progresses.
It gets its name from coughing spells in youngsters who make a 'whooping' sound when inhaling.
AHS says young children are at the greatest risk and complications from whooping cough include pneumonia, convulsions, brain damage and even death.
Routine vaccinations for children provide protection against pertussis, and cases are usually treated with antibiotics.
Further information can be found online.
Whooping cough outbreak in Lethbridge area, 16 cases reported | CTV News - CTV News Calgary
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