OTTAWA, Dec. 27 -- Cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis or the 100-day cough, are increasing in several provinces and territories in Canada, local media reported Friday.

Canadian health officials have reported 19,000 cases of pertussis so far this year and the country typically sees 1,000 to 3,000 cases a year, CTV News reported.

Whooping cough was mentioned by Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, on her biggest health concerns heading into 2025.

Tam said that whooping cough was controlled by vaccination for years and that one of the reasons it may be coming back is the pandemic's disruption on routine childhood vaccinations.

Whooping cough is considered a "nationally notifiable disease" in Canada and it's monitored through the Canadian Notifiable Disease Surveillance System, which has been set up to keep track of transmission of infectious diseases, CTV News reported.

  - Xinhua