Whooping Cough
The Victorian Health Department has issued a health alert entitled
“Increasing pertussis (whooping cough) cases in Victoria”.
The key messages from the alert are:
•Cases of pertussis (whooping cough) are increasing in Victoria, mostly affecting children aged 10-12 years.
•Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory illness known for causing a cough, and can lead to life threatening infections in babies.
•Symptoms of pertussis may be very similar to other respiratory infections, especially in the early stages, meaning diagnosis by a doctor as soon as possible is important.
Prompt diagnosis, isolation and treatment can help reduce transmission and protect vulnerable infants.
Pertussis usually begins with cold-like symptoms, such as a dry cough, tiredness, runny nose, and low-grade fever. A more definitive cough follows, lasting for 10 weeks or more. The cough comes in long spells and may be followed by a high-pitched ‘whooping’ sound on inhalation.
Pertussis is mostly spread to other people by droplets from coughing or sneezing.
People with pertussis are considered infectious from the onset of cold-like symptoms until 21 days after the onset of cough, or until they have received 5 days of appropriate antibiotic treatment.
You can get more information about this alert via the following link: