Whooping cough cases on the rise across Ontario [Video]

Health officials across Ontario are warning of a significant spike in cases of pertussis, also known as whooping cough.

Public Health Ontario says as of Sept. 9, 1,016 cases have been reported in the province. That’s the highest since 2012 when 1,044 cases were reported.

The health unit says the majority of cases were among children between the age of 10-14, accounting for 37.8 cases per 100,000 people. From 2015-2019, that rate was 13.3.

On Sept. 11, the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) said they had seen 90 cases of whooping cough so far this year, compared to just six in 2023. Ottawa Public Health told CTV News that as of Sept. 16, it has received reports of 126 people with confirmed or probable pertussis in Ottawa.

CHEO takes in patients from other regions, OPH said, so its figures could also include patients from other health units in eastern Ontario, western Quebec and Nunavut, …