Whooping cough returns to Gisborne

13 December 2011

Whooping Cough appears to be making a comeback, and that is worrying for Tairawhiti District Health’s public health unit.

“In the past month we’ve seen 15 cases of Whooping Cough notified to Public Health,” said TDH Medical Officer of Health, Dr Geoffrey Cramp. “For the same time last year we had no cases at all.”

As a notifiable disease, Whooping Cough must be reported to the Medical Officer of Health. “This is so we can attempt to control the disease and protect infants aged less than 12 months who may have been exposed.

“Children and adults who are coughing and unwell should not go to school and work. If the cough is due to Whooping Cough they are still infectious until they have had fives days of a 14 day course of antibiotics.”

“When we think of Whooping Cough we tend to think of children and babies, but often it is adults who get it. The problem with Whooping Cough is that it affects babies under one year of age more severely, due to their smaller airways.  This can lead to hospitalisation for the baby to be given oxygen and in some cases the illness can lead to pneumonia, brain damage and in severe cases even death.”

Whooping Cough – also known as Pertussis – causes a cough that usually lasts longer than two weeks and usually causes severe bouts of coughing that can end in the person vomiting. Whooping Cough can cause young babies to stop breathing for a short time, and turn them a dusky blue colour. The cough often causes a whooping sound on breathing in, and this is what gives the condition its name.

Whooping Cough is caused by bacteria spread by coughing and sneezing.   There are similar coughs that are also caused by viruses, so it is important to get a clear diagnosis so the correct antibiotics can be given. Whooping Cough is diagnosed by a swab taken from the secretions from the nose.

“Once diagnosed it is possible to treat with an antibiotic called erythromycin,” said Dr Cramp. “Therefore it is important to go to your GP if you develop a continuous cough or if you vomit after coughing . Babies who are unwell with a cough should also be seen by a doctor.”

Women in the later stages of pregnancy exposed to a diagnosed case of Whooping Cough should also get antibiotics because there is a risk to the unborn baby.

The occurrence of Whooping Cough in New Zealand is definitely increasing.  Epidemics of whooping cough occur in about 4-year cycles in New Zealand.  There was an epidemic in 2004/2005, with 3485 notified cases. Between 2004 and 2008, forty percent  of notified cases occurred in people older than 30.

ENDS

For more information:

DR GEOFFREY CRAMP

Medical Officer of Health  |  Tairawhiti District Health 

869-0500 ext 8715   |  www.tdh.org.nz

BACKGROUND

PROTECTION AGAINST WHOOPING COUGH

Immunisation is the best way to protect babies and the community against Whooping Cough.

Immunisation injections for babies are given at six weeks, three months and five months of age. But children are not fully protected against Whooping Cough until they have received all three of these doses. Therefore it is important that these babies get their immunisations on time, so that they are at less risk when mixing with older people.

Children should also receive booster immunisations at four years and then again at 11 years of age.

For adults, immunity to Whooping Cough will gradually disappear so it is important that people who work with, or are involved with, young children have a Whooping Cough booster vaccination.

• Contact your GP for further information and to arrange to get immunised.