Yellowknife student diagnosed with whooping cough

Health officials say amiddle school student atYellowknife's cole William McDonald school has been diagnosed with pertussis, orwhooping cough.

The school sent a letter to parents todayfromYellowknife Health and Social Services, stating that their children may have come in contact with the infectedstudent.

Whooping cough is a bacterial infection thatcauses severe coughing fits, and can lead to pneumonia and other serious medical issues. It's most commonly transmitted through coughing or sneezing.

The pertussis vaccine is part of the routineN.W.T. immunization schedule, but according to the health authority the vaccine can start to wane or be less effective by agenine or 10. The immunization schedule calls for booster vaccinations for tetanus, diphtheria andpertussisin Grade 9 andevery 10 years for adults over 18.

Pregnant women, people with severe lung disease, and infants who are not immunized or under immunized are most at risk.

The letter tells parents that in the "rare possibility that your child presents symptom of disease, please see your healthcare provider immediately."

It says symptoms of whooping cough include:

• persistent cough, which may become more severe andforceful
• fever
• runny nose
• sneezing.

Alberta Health Services declared a whooping cough outbreak in northern Alberta last month.Almost 200 cases ofwhooping coughhave been confirmed in the region, which includes FortMcMurrayand Grande Prairie.

Yukon also saw two cases of pertussis earlier this year.