Increasing Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Cases

MAIN POINTS

• The Department of Health, Victoria has issued a health alert, Increasing pertussis (whooping cough) cases in Victoria.

• The key messages are:

o cases of pertussis are increasing in Victoria, mostly affecting children aged 10-12 years

o pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory illness known for causing a cough and can lead to life threatening infections in babies

o 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.

For contacts of diagnosed cases:

o The exclusion requirement only applies to contacts who meet all three (3) of the below

criteria:

- aged less than 7 years;

- in the same class as the student with the diagnosed case; and

- have not received three (3) effective doses of pertussis vaccine.

• Students meeting these criteria should be excluded for 14 days after the last exposure to the infectious case, or until they have taken five (5) days of a course of effective antibiotic treatment.