Written by Samara Reyes with contributions by Dr. Julian Marsden and the ECBC Clinical Resources team.

Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by Bordetella pertussis. It poses significant health risks to infants and children but can affect people of all ages. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, elevated pertussis activity has been reported in other provinces of Canada. Given cyclical peaks in pertussis every 2-5 years, with the last peak in 2016, an increase in cases is anticipated in 2024. Recently, the Pan American Health Organization issued an alert due to increasing pertussis cases in the Americas.

Incidence of pertussis is increasing most among children under 1 year-old and between 1-4 years-old, with those under 6 months at the greatest risk due to their incomplete vaccination. However, mild or atypical presentations in older children and adults may lead to undiagnosed cases, unrecognized community transmission, and under-ascertainment in surveillance data. Cases are highest in the Northern Health Authority but occur in every health authority. Read the BC Provincial Pertussis Summary (BCCDC, July 2024) for more information.

Pertussis typically presents initially as a common cold with a cough and sneezing, a runny nose and low grade fever. The cough worsens over 2 weeks, leading to coughing spells that end with an inspiratory “whoop”. These usually happen more at night and may be severe enough to cause a child to gag or throw up. Whooping cough can be complicated by pneumonia (1 in 5 cases) or more rarely, seizures (1 in 30 cases).

This toolkit aims to equip emergency healthcare practitioners with information and resources to navigate the increasing incidence of pertussis in your communities.

Here are some essential resources for clinicians and patients.

Resources for Clinicians

ECBC: Point-of-Care Clinical Summaries

• Bronchiolitis in Infants and Toddlers
• Approach to the Febrile Infant
• Vital Signs for Children By Age

Other Resources:

• Health Canada: Pertussis Information For Health Professionals
• Health Canada: Pertussis Immunization Guide
• TREKK: Bottom Line Recommendations: Fever In Young Infants

Resources for Patients & Families

• HealthLinkBC: Whooping Cough Patient Handout
• BC Centre for Disease Control: Pertussis Facts & Figures
• Vancouver Coastal Health: Signs & Symptoms of Whooping Cough
• Canadian Pediatric Society: Caring for Children with Whooping Cough
• Immunize BC: Immunization Schedules
• Immunize BC: Reasons to Immunize Your Child
• Immunize Canada: Diseases and Vaccines