Whooping Cough (Pertussis)
* Designated Reportable Disease
This is intended as a general guide. Consult a health care provider for diagnosis and for recommendations or advice. Notify the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit if there is a higher than usual number of cases of any disease. To report a case of Whooping Cough, use the Reportable Disease Form or call a public health nurse or public health inspector on the Infectious Disease team at 1-800-660-5853. This disease is vaccine preventable.
How it Spreads
Sharing close airspace (less than 1 meter).
Contact with secretions from the nose or mouth of an infected person (i.e. sneezing, coughing).
Incubation period *6–20 days.
* Incubation period = Time between contact with disease and start of symptom.
How to Recognize
Respiratory symptoms followed by persistent repetitive cough ending in gagging/vomiting (may or may not have characteristic “whoop”); fever is mild or absent, runny nose.
When it is Contagious
Up to 21 days after symptoms begin if not treated.
Note: most contagious during the first 2 weeks when symptoms resemble a common cold.
When to Report/Exclude
Report to the Health Unit immediately.
Exclude from childcare or school until infected person has had 5 full days of antibiotic treatment – if no antibiotic treatment is used exclude for 3 weeks after the onset of cough.