WANING immunity has been blamed for a 258 per cent increase in the number of whooping cough cases recorded across the Western NSW Local Health District.
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The increase followed a statewide trend during 2015, with local health officials saying a whooping cough epidemic occurs every three to four years.
In NSW, the number of cases skyrocketed to a four-year high with 12,240 in 2015, up from 5835 in 2012.
And, while a high number of cases was also recorded in Western NSW during 2015, overall the number was down on 2012 – from 452 cases to 374.
But case numbers have varied in Western NSW over the last four years – 452 in 2012, 74 in 2013, 145 in 2014 and 374 in 2015.
Whooping cough, also know as pertussis, is a serious respiratory infection that causes a long coughing illness.
In babies, the infection can sometimes lead to pneumonia and occasionally brain damage, and can be life threatening.
Western NSW Local Health District communicable diseases co-ordinator Priscilla Stanley said whooping cough epidemics occur every three to four years.
“It was recognised that in 2015 there was been a significant state wide increase in pertussis,” Ms Stanley said.
“The notifications received across our Health District do reflect this trend and it is thought that the increase in numbers is due to waning immunity”.
Ms Stanley said immunisation remained the best line of defence against whooping cough.
High risk groups, including young babies children and pregnant women, are able to access the vaccine for free.
“Evidence has demonstrated that by vaccinating pregnant women it lessens the risk of infants catching the potentially fatal infection through antibody protection passed on to them by their mothers,” Ms Stanley said.
Bathurst GP Dr Pavan Phanindra said whooping cough symptoms could easily be mis-diagnosed.
“It’s very easy to miss because there are many other reasons why patients cough,” he said.
“It’s an extraordinarily contagious bacterial infection and it can cause uncontrollable coughing and vomiting.
“One-in-200 infants under the age of six months who contract whooping cough will die from a severe chest infection or brain damage.”
- Whooping cough (sometimes called pertussis) is a serious respiratory infection that causes a long coughing illness. In babies, the infection can sometimes lead to pneumonia and occasionally brain damage and can be even life threatening;
- Older children and adults can get whooping cough and can spread it to others, including babies;
- Whooping cough starts like a cold with a blocked or runny nose, sneezing, a mild fever and an occasional cough;
- The cough gets worse and severe bouts of uncontrollable coughing develop. Coughing bouts can be followed by vomiting, choking or taking a big gasping breath which causes a "whooping" sound. The cough can last for many weeks and can be worse at night;
- Some newborns may not cough at all but stop breathing completely and turn blue. Other babies have difficulties feeding or they can choke and gag;
- Older children and adults may just have a mild cough that doesn't go away. In adults the cough commonly lasts five to seven weeks, sometimes longer.