Unpredictable whooping cough outbreaks see cases rise in Ontario, drop in Quebec

Whooping cough is on track to reach a record number of cases in Ontario while infections climb in eastern provinces and decline in Quebec, but experts say trying to predict the course of the highly contagious disease has been especially difficult this year.This is the first time the disease has circulated to a significant extent since pre-pandemic years and in contrast to influenza, it doesn’t follow a predictable pattern apart from resurging every few years, says Dr. Jesse Papenburg, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist in Montreal.