Across several Canadian provinces, the old and stubborn cough known as whooping cough is returning with a force that far outpaces the ordinary rhythm of recent years. Quebec has already counted more than eleven thousand cases this year, a figure that dwarfs the modest annual averages of the years before the pandemic, while Ontario and New Brunswick show the same tide rising in smaller measure. It is a reminder that diseases keep their own cycles, that the protection we build against them can quietly thin, and that a cough once thought confined to history can return to claim the youngest and mo
Whooping Cough Cases Surge Across Several Canadian Provinces, Far Above Pre-Pandemic Levels
Most Quebec patients are aged 10 to 14; the illness can be life-threatening, especially for very young children.
"We call it the 100-day cough."
Mark
Quebec's number is the one that jumps out. Why does it matter so much?
Mimi
Because it's not a small bump. Over 11,670 cases against a 2015 to 2019 average of 562, and the last peak, in 2019, was 1,269.
Mark
And it's mostly older kids?
Mimi
Most patients are between 10 and 14, according to Quebec's health ministry. But Dr. Tam stressed the danger is greatest for very young children.
Luke
Worth noting those two facts come from different places. The age breakdown is Quebec's, and Tam's warning is a general statement about severity. The reporting doesn't say how many infants have been affected.
Mark
What about Ontario?
Mimi
470 cases as of June versus a five-year average of 98. Toronto has 99 and Ottawa 76, each more than double their pre-pandemic averages.
Luke
Those are June figures, so the full-year picture is unknown. And the comparison is to a five-year average, which depends on which years are included.
Mark
Is this just the disease's natural cycle?
Mimi
Officials say it rises every two to five or six years. The PAHO alert in July shows the concern reaches beyond Canada.
Luke
The cycle is the officials' framing, but the article doesn't say why this surge is this large, or what role vaccination coverage plays. That remains unanswered here.
O Pulso
- Quebec has logged more than 11,670 cases this year, against an average of 562 in a typical pre-pandemic year.
- New Brunswick has declared an outbreak, with 141 cases already reported where roughly 34 are expected in a normal year.
- Ontario's dashboard climbed to 470 cases by June, nearly five times its five-year average, with Toronto and Ottawa running well ahead of their norms.
- Health officials are racing to expand vaccination and surveillance, following a July alert from the Pan American Health Organization.
- The disease is highly contagious and can be life-threatening for very young children, so the coming weeks will test whether the vaccination push can slow its spread.
Across several Canadian provinces, the old and stubborn cough known as whooping cough is returning with a force that far outpaces the ordinary rhythm of recent years. Quebec has already counted more than eleven thousand cases this year, a figure that dwarfs the modest annual averages of the years before the pandemic, while Ontario and New Brunswick show the same tide rising in smaller measure. It is a reminder that diseases keep their own cycles, that the protection we build against them can quietly thin, and that a cough once thought confined to history can return to claim the youngest and most vulnerable.
In Quebec, more than 11,670 cases of whooping cough have been reported so far this year, where an ordinary year between 2015 and 2019 averaged just 562. The province's health ministry says most patients are between 10 and 14 years old. Even the 2019 peak, with 1,269 cases, now looks small beside this year's count.
Ontario's numbers are smaller but follow the same path. By June, the province had recorded 470 cases against a five-year average of 98, and Toronto and Ottawa are each running more than double their usual pre-pandemic totals. In New Brunswick, health officials have declared an outbreak, with 141 cases so far against a typical 34 a year.
Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, has described the illness as highly contagious and preventable by vaccine, and warned that it can be life-threatening for very young children. She calls it the 100-day cough, for good reason: the illness begins like a cold and becomes a persistent cough that can last for weeks, often ending in a characteristic whoop.
The rise is not confined to Canada, and public health officials note that the disease moves in cycles every few years. What remains open is whether more provinces will follow New Brunswick in declaring outbreaks, and whether the call for stronger vaccination takes hold before the cycle climbs further.
In Quebec, more than 11,670 cases of whooping cough have been reported so far this year. In an ordinary year between 2015 and 2019, the province averaged 562. The gap is the clearest measure of how sharply the disease has returned across parts of Canada, and Quebec is not alone.
A spokesperson for Quebec's health ministry told The Canadian Press, in an email, that most of the patients are between 10 and 14 years old. The province's most recent peak before this one came in 2019, when 1,269 cases were reported. This year's count is more than nine times that.
Ontario's numbers are smaller but move in the same direction. As of June, the province's dashboard showed 470 cases, against a five-year average of 98. Two of its largest cities are running well ahead of their norms: Toronto has recorded 99 cases this year and Ottawa 76, each more than double the pre-pandemic annual averages for those cities.
In New Brunswick, health officials declared a whooping cough outbreak last week. So far 141 cases have been reported there, compared with a typical 34 per year.
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, said last week that pertussis, the formal name for the illness, is rising across the country. It is highly contagious and preventable by vaccine. In an interview on Friday she said it can be very serious and even life-threatening, particularly for very young children. "We call it the 100-day cough," she said, adding that it can cause a significant amount of coughing for a very long time.
The illness begins with cold-like symptoms and over several weeks develops into a persistent cough, with spells that often end in a "whoop" as the person catches their breath. Public health officials describe it as cyclical, with activity climbing every two to five or six years, which is part of the context for the current rise.
The increase is not limited to Canada. Cases have also risen in the United States and elsewhere. In July, the Pan American Health Organization issued an alert urging countries to step up their surveillance and expand vaccination coverage.
What to watch next is whether other provinces follow New Brunswick in declaring outbreaks, and whether the vaccination push the regional health body called for takes hold as the cycle continues.
Citações Notáveis
We call it the 100-day cough. It can lead to a significant amount of coughing for a very long time.— Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer
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