Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a disease caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis. Symptoms of pertussis include sneezing, runny nose, low grade fever and coughing. Coughing may occur in violent spells followed by an intake of breath that sounds like a "whoop". For more information, see the health unit's Pertussis Fact Sheet.

The following graph shows the number of pertussis cases in Simcoe Muskoka between 2000 and 2008. There are many factors that influence how many cases are reported to the health unit, as explained on the Infectious Diseases page.

The following graph shows the incidence rate of pertussis in Simcoe Muskoka and Ontario between 2000 and 2008. 

Neither incidence rate displays an overall trend for this time period. There is alot of variability in the rates, which means that there are many peaks and valleys and it is difficult to determine whether an increase is significant or whether it is within the expected range for this disease in these populations.