Alberta Health Services (AHS) says 16 people are sick with whooping cough — better known as whooping cough — in several communities in southern Alberta.
The agency says as of Thursday, three of those patients were in the hospital.
Areas affected by the outbreak include Lethbridge County, Coaldale, Tabor, Vauxhall, Grassy Lake and Bow Island.
Whooping cough is a bacterial infection with symptoms very similar to a cold or flu – a runny nose, sneezing, high fever and a mild cough – but the cough becomes much more severe as the illness progresses.
It gets its name from coughing fits in youngsters that make a “whooping” sound when inhaled.
According to the AHS, young children are at greatest risk, and complications from whooping cough include pneumonia, convulsions, brain damage and even death.
Routine vaccinations for children provide protection against whooping cough, and cases are usually treated with antibiotics.
Additional information can be found online.
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