Whooping Cough:
Whooping cough (pertussis) is a serious, contagious, respiratory infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. The disease begins like a cold and then the characteristic cough develops. This cough may last for months, even after antibiotic treatment is completed and the person is no longer infectious.
The 'whoop' (which is not always obvious) is due to a deep breath at the end of a bout of coughing. Vomiting after coughing is common.
Whooping cough is particularly dangerous for babies less than six months of age. They are affected more seriously by the disease than older children or adults and are more likely to develop complications.
One in every 200 babies who contract whooping cough will die. Immunisation is the best way to reduce the risk of whooping cough.
Whooping cough should be diagnosed and treated immediately. There are a number of tests for whooping cough, but they are not always reliable and the results may take some time. Treatment should not be withheld while waiting for these results.
Tests used to diagnose whooping cough may include:
In its early stages, the symptoms of whooping cough can be reduced by taking antibiotics. If treatment is given in the first 21 days of the illness, the risk of passing the infection to others might be reduced.
Members of the infected person's household are at increased risk of acquiring the disease and are usually prescribed a strong antibiotic as a preventative measure, even if they are fully immunised.
Whooping cough begins with symptoms similar to those of a cold. These can rapidly progress to include:
Whooping cough is most serious in babies under 12 months of age. In young babies less than six months of age, the symptoms can be severe or life threatening. Seek urgent medical attention if your child's lips or skin go blue (cyanosis) or if they are having breathing difficulties associated with the coughing.
Childcare, healthcare workers and some adults should also be vaccinated, especially those who are, or will be, in close contact with babies. The whooping cough vaccine for adolescents and adults also contains diphtheria and tetanus protection in a combination vaccine. Immunity provided by the vaccine decreases after six to 10 years.
A combination vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough is ideally recommended pre-pregnancy. The combination vaccine can also be given in the third trimester of pregnancy. or as soon as possible after the birth of your baby. Women who are breastfeeding can receive the combination vaccines. Speak with your doctor for more information.
Some of the complications of whooping cough in young babies include:
The Bordetella pertussis bacterium is spread by airborne droplets from the upper respiratory tract (when the infected person coughs or sneezes) and is highly infectious. The time from infection to appearance of symptoms (incubation period) is between six and 20 days.
A person is infectious for the first 21 days of their cough or until they have had five days of a 10-day course of antibiotics. In countries where immunisation rates are high, the risk of catching whooping cough is low.
In Victoria, most reports of whooping cough currently occur in adults over 20 years of age. Recent research has shown that parents and family members are the main source of whooping cough infection in babies.
Whooping cough (pertussis) is a serious, contagious, respiratory infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. The disease begins like a cold and then the characteristic cough develops. This cough may last for months, even after antibiotic treatment is completed and the person is no longer infectious.
The 'whoop' (which is not always obvious) is due to a deep breath at the end of a bout of coughing. Vomiting after coughing is common.
Whooping cough is particularly dangerous for babies less than six months of age. They are affected more seriously by the disease than older children or adults and are more likely to develop complications.
One in every 200 babies who contract whooping cough will die. Immunisation is the best way to reduce the risk of whooping cough.
Whooping cough should be diagnosed and treated immediately. There are a number of tests for whooping cough, but they are not always reliable and the results may take some time. Treatment should not be withheld while waiting for these results.
Tests used to diagnose whooping cough may include:
- medical history including immunisation status
- physical examination
- blood tests
- swabs of the nose and throat for laboratory testing.
In its early stages, the symptoms of whooping cough can be reduced by taking antibiotics. If treatment is given in the first 21 days of the illness, the risk of passing the infection to others might be reduced.
Members of the infected person's household are at increased risk of acquiring the disease and are usually prescribed a strong antibiotic as a preventative measure, even if they are fully immunised.
Whooping cough begins with symptoms similar to those of a cold. These can rapidly progress to include:
- severe cough – occurs in bouts
- characteristic 'whooping' sound on inhalation
- vomiting at the end of a bout of coughing
- apnoea – the child stops breathing for periods of time and may go blue.
Whooping cough is most serious in babies under 12 months of age. In young babies less than six months of age, the symptoms can be severe or life threatening. Seek urgent medical attention if your child's lips or skin go blue (cyanosis) or if they are having breathing difficulties associated with the coughing.
Childcare, healthcare workers and some adults should also be vaccinated, especially those who are, or will be, in close contact with babies. The whooping cough vaccine for adolescents and adults also contains diphtheria and tetanus protection in a combination vaccine. Immunity provided by the vaccine decreases after six to 10 years.
A combination vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough is ideally recommended pre-pregnancy. The combination vaccine can also be given in the third trimester of pregnancy. or as soon as possible after the birth of your baby. Women who are breastfeeding can receive the combination vaccines. Speak with your doctor for more information.
Some of the complications of whooping cough in young babies include:
- haemorrhage (bleeding)
- apnoea (stopping breathing for periods of time)
- pneumonia
- inflammation of the brain
- convulsions (fits) and coma
- permanent brain damage
- death.
The Bordetella pertussis bacterium is spread by airborne droplets from the upper respiratory tract (when the infected person coughs or sneezes) and is highly infectious. The time from infection to appearance of symptoms (incubation period) is between six and 20 days.
A person is infectious for the first 21 days of their cough or until they have had five days of a 10-day course of antibiotics. In countries where immunisation rates are high, the risk of catching whooping cough is low.
In Victoria, most reports of whooping cough currently occur in adults over 20 years of age. Recent research has shown that parents and family members are the main source of whooping cough infection in babies.