Range Lake North school student diagnosed with whooping cough

Health officials are warning parents and guardians of children at Range Lake North School in Yellowknife that their child may have been exposed to a student with whooping cough.

The school sent out a letter today about the bacterial infection, also calledpertussis,which is transmitted though sneezing and coughing. Symptoms include apersistentcough, fever, runny nose and sneezing.

The risk of serious and sometimes deadly complications is highest in babies and young children, especially those who have not been vaccinated.

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The Public Health Agency of Canadarecommendsadults be immunized against whooping coughif they arein regular contact with an infant.

The pertussis vaccine is part of the routine N.W.T. immunization schedule, but according to the health authority the protection from immunizationscan start to wane or be less effective by age nine or 10. The immunization schedule calls for booster vaccinations for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis in Grade 9 and every 10 years for adults over 18.

A similar letter was sent out to parents of students attendingYellowknife's William McDonald school in September after a child at that school was diagnosed with whooping cough.

Alberta Health Services declared a whooping cough outbreak in northern Alberta in August.