The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is advising residents of the Preeceville area that an outbreak of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, has been declared in the Preeceville area.

Pertussis is a serious and highly contagious infection of the lungs and throat caused by Bordetella Pertussis bacteria. Anyone can get pertussis, but the disease is most severe in children less than one year, where it can be fatal.

Young children who have not been immunized get sicker than older children and adults. This disease can also be severe in pregnant women during the last trimester of pregnancy. During that time, it can be passed to the newborn with the potential to cause severe complications, including infant death.

Symptoms of early stage pertussis are common cold-like symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, mild fever, and a mild cough. As the illness develops, the cough gets worse leading to severe coughing spells that often end with a “whooping” sound before the next breath, especially in young children. Teenagers and adults may not make the whooping sound. The cough can last one to two months and occurs more often at night. The illness also produces mucus which is expelled through coughing. Mucus makes it difficult to take a breath, preventing enough oxygen from getting to the brain. Contracting pertussis does not produce life-long protection so sick individuals may contract the disease again.

View the full PSA on the Saskatchewan Health Authority website: https://www.saskhealthauthority.ca/news-events/news/pertussis-whooping-cough-outbreak-declared-preeceville-area