An outbreak of pertussis, or whooping cough, in Southern Alberta continues and shows no signs of slowing down.

So far, 259 cases of whooping cough have been confirmed in Alberta Health Service's Southern Zone. An outbreak was declared for the zone back in June, with most of the cases found in the west of the zone around Lethbridge. Dr. Lena Derie-Gillespie, Officer of Medical Health with AHS's South Zone, says that the Calgary Zone, which includes Airdrie, is not yet at risk.

"Calgary zone is not under an outbreak right now. You're last case count that I can see is that you've only had 32 cases in 2017. Now we do know that there are often pertussis cases that aren't necessarily brought to attention or diagnosed."

Even though risk is not as high in our area, Derie-Gillespie says a good dose of caution is necessary, as whooping cough is highly contagious and sometimes goes undiagnosed.

"I don't want people to be concerned or be scared, but I do want people to understand, we know we've got lots of cases but we're also really looking for our cases in South Zone right now, and that does influence the numbers certainly as well."

If you have recently traveled to southern Alberta or plan to in the near future, there are some simple steps you can take to reduce your risk of contracting the disease.

"Make sure you're up to date on your immunizations. You can talk to your public health office or call health link. Make sure you and your family are up to date, and that includes adults as well. The other most important thing, if you're coming to visit anybody in South Zone or anywhere else in the province, is hand hygiene. Make sure you're cleaning those hands."

 

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