Surge in whooping cough spurs alert

Health officials are urging parents to ensure their children are vaccinated after an upsurge in whooping cough cases in Northland this year.

There were 10 cases of whooping cough, or pertussis, in Northland last year, but already in 2012 47 cases have been confirmed, Northland Medical Officer of Health Jonathan Jarman said. The youngest patient was 22 days old and the oldest was aged 71 years old, he said. He urged parents to check their children were up to date and "on time" with their immunisation.

"In the past week the number of reported cases has risen by a further six cases, three of these being young children," Dr Jarman said.

Whooping cough was particularly dangerous to the young - especially under one year old - and timely immunisation was the best protection against vaccine-preventable diseases like whooping cough, he said. "The violence of the coughing is what does the most damage in babies. Young children often stop breathing and turn blue after coughing. The coughing is worse at night and can last for many weeks."

Most young children caught whooping cough from adults.

Booster vaccinations were available for adults and were recommended for those who worked or lived with infants.

Whooping cough started like the 'flu but after a few days bouts of coughing would start. The whoop was seen in about a half of children but only about one in 10 adults made the characteristic whooping sound after coughing bouts. Patients vomiting after coughing was suggestive of whooping cough.

Some parents might opt to postpone a child's immunisation due to the child having a runny nose or a cold. But rather than postpone the immunisation, Dr Jarman urged parents to speak with their GP. "Immunisation is free, safe and when a child is vaccinated on time, every time, very effective," he said.

What is it?

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  Whooping cough (pertussis) is an infection of the respiratory system. It's characterised by severe coughing spells that can sometimes end in a "whooping" sound when the invalid inhales.
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  It mainly affects infants younger than 6 months old before they're adequately protected by immunisation, and young people 11 to 18 years old whose immunity has started to fade.
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  The first symptoms of whooping cough are similar to those of a common cold: runny nose, sneezing, mild cough, low-grade fever.
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  After about one to two weeks, the dry, irritating cough evolves into coughing spells. During a coughing spell, which can last for more than a minute, a child may turn red or purple. At the end of a spell, a child may make a characteristic whooping sound when breathing in or may vomit. Between spells, a child usually feels well.