Case of whooping cough confirmed on flight from Whitehorse to Vancouver

This 2016 illustration based on electron microscope imagery and provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention depicts Bordetella pertussis bacteria, which causes whooping cough. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Meredith Newlove, CDC via AP)

Yukon says its Communicable Disease Control and the territory's chief medical officer have confirmed a case of whooping cough on a flight from Whitehorse to Vancouver earlier this month.

The territory says it is advising any passengers who took the Air North flight that left at 11:45 a.m. on Nov. 6 to monitor for symptoms, which may show up seven to 10 days after exposure.

It says whooping cough may create a range of outcomes from mild cold-like symptoms to severe coughing fits.

The territory says the respiratory disease can pose serious risks to pregnant individuals in their third trimester and infants under one year of age.

It says those who were seated in rows 17 to 22 may be at greater risk of exposure.

High-risk individuals who sat in that area of the plane are also being asked to contact their health care providers or Yukon disease-control authorities for guidance on antibiotics.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.