Whooping cough on the rise

Health officials are warning parents to watch their children for symptoms of whooping cough as the number of cases reported surges throughout Toronto.

		Rita Shahin, Toronto Public Health
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That total is more than all of the cases recorded in 2003 and 2004 combined.

About 80 per cent of this season's cases have been in children younger than four.

Although many children are vaccinated against the disease, the vaccine is not 100 per cent effective.

As a result, health officials are asking parents to watch for signs of pertussis and to get to a doctor if they suspect their children have its symptoms.

Pertussis often begins similarly to a common cold or flu, with symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, fever and a mild cough. However, the symptoms are soon followed by an increasingly severe cough that can impede breathing.

• FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: Pertussis

The name "whooping cough" comes from the gasping sound that sufferers make as they draw breath after a coughing fit.