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Whooping-cough case likely at Esquimalt's Macaulay Elementary

A probable case of pertussis, or whooping cough, has been detected at Macaulay Elementary School in Esquimalt.
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A nurse loads a syringe with vaccine for injection in Victoria. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chuck Stoody

A probable case of pertussis, or whooping cough, has been detected at Macaulay Elementary School in Esquimalt.

Island Health sent a letter to parents and guardians saying that anyone who has been at the school might have had contact with the pertussis bacteria.

A confirmed case of the illness was found at Keating Elementary School in April, and there have been 57 confirmed cases on the south Island this year — down from 89 in 2018.

While no local numbers were available, Island Health has sent 15 similar letters to schools and child-care programs on the Island in 2019.

Pertussis can spread through coughing, sneezing and sharing drinks. It starts with cold-like symptoms and can lead to a severe cough with a “whooping” sound.

The cough can lead to gagging or vomiting, and symptoms can last for weeks.

Island Health stressed the importance of keeping children’s pertussis immunizations up to date. Shots are usually given in the first year of life, at 18 months and when starting kindergarten, followed by a booster in Grade 9.