Whooping cough confirmed at Auckland high school as case numbers continue to grow

An Auckland private school is the latest school to be hit by whooping cough as the outbreak continues with more than 1400 cases reported across the country this year - more than double the number reported in the first six months of last year.

ACG Parnell today confirmed one of its students has been diagnosed with whooping cough.

School deputy principal Julie Kerr said whooping cough, also known as pertussis, was a notifiable disease which required the school to alert the parents of students who had been in close contact with the affected student.

She said parents of the children who fell into that category would receive more information from the school.

The Ministry of Health declared a national outbreak of the disease on December 1 last year.

In the four months from January 1 to May 4 there were 1412, confirmed, probable and suspected cases of whooping cough reported, Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) figures showed.

That was more than double the number of cases reported in the same period last year.

In the six months from January 1 to July 7 last year there were a total of 646 confirmed, probable and suspected cases of the disease.

Last year, Auckland Regional Public Health warned a cluster of schools in West Auckland were at risk of a whooping cough outbreak.

Several students at Laingholm Primary School had been affected, causing the school's drama production to be called off.

Medical officer of health Dr Michael Hale said at the time that the outbreak was localised in two small clusters.

"In the past month, we've had 33 new cases. It's one of these infectious diseases that waxes and wanes and we don't ever really get rid of it in New Zealand," he said in September.

Laingholm Primary School principal Martyn Weatherill said several students, parents and siblings had been affected.

Dr Michelle Conning from the Titirangi Medical Centre said about a third of the students at Laingholm Primary were not immunised, which was a huge concern to her.

"At the moment we're definitely dealing with whooping cough but, with our low immunisation rates, it's probably not long before this happens with a more serious illness."

Whooping cough

- Whooping cough is a serious and highly infectious disease and is spread by direct contact with fluids from the nose or mouth of infected people.

- Young children, especially babies under 12 months, and people with weak immune systems (immunocompromised) can become very ill and occasionally die from whooping cough.

- Whooping cough begins with a runny nose, fever and a dry cough, which develops into long coughing attacks. In babies and young children, coughing attacks often end with a "whoop" sound when breathing in, or with vomiting or gagging. Babies can have trouble feeding or breathing.