Australia. Whooping cough: Nationwide Epidemic risk-19,000 cases

[Giuseppe]

Whooping cough death on NSW north coast - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Whooping cough death on NSW north coast

[3/10/2009]

New South Wales Health has confirmed that a four-week-old baby girl from the state's north coast has died from whooping cough.


It is the first death in the state from whooping cough since the 1990s.

The baby was admitted to hospital last week and died in intensive care yesterday.
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<cite cite="http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/10/2512532.htm">Whooping cough death on NSW north coast - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)</cite>

[Giuseppe]

Re: Whooping cough death on NSW north coast - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Australia. Whooping cough on the rise in the Territory - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Whooping cough on the rise in the Territory

Posted March 12, 2009 12:38:00
Updated March 12, 2009 12:37:00

The Centre for Disease Control says it's found an increasing number of cases of whooping cough in the Northern Territory.


A baby from New South Wales died of the disease three days ago, and more than 3000 cases have been diagnosed in the state.

Queensland has 800 cases, and there's been 476 people found with the illness in Victoria.

The centre's Chris Nagy says the Territory is following a national trend.

"Just like the rest of Australia, we are seeing increased number of whooping cough throughout the Northern Territory," he said.

"So yes, I think the epidemic is Australia wide.
"We saw an increase in cases every month last year, which is the same in other states in Australia."
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<cite cite="http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/12/2514221.htm">Whooping cough on the rise in the Territory - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)</cite>

[Shiloh]

Re: Australia. Whooping cough: Nationwide Epidemic risk.

Source: http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/s...7-3102,00.html

Queensland Health warns whooping cough is spreading
Suellen Hinde
March 21, 2009 11:00pm

THE highly infectious and potentially fatal disease, whooping cough, is rapidly spreading throughout Queensland, Queensland Health has warned.

The number of cases was three times higher than would normally be expected.

There have been 879 cases in all age groups in the first 10 weeks of this year across the state.

"The number of cases is high and certainly two to three times higher than we have seen in the last five years," said Queensland Health's senior director of communicable diseases, Dr Christine Selvey.

"We started to see a lot of cases in October and November and it has continued on into this year."

A baby died from whooping cough in the Tweed Heads area on March 9.

The north coast of New South Wales has been identified as an area where large numbers of children are going unvaccinated, with only 81.4 per cent of children receiving the jabs against whooping cough.

Newborn babies are at significant risk of dying from the disease, which spreads from people coughing droplets of the virus into the air. There have been 27 cases of whooping cough in babies under six months this year in Queensland and authorities are urging parents to vaccinate their children.

"The group we are most worried about is babies," Dr Selvey said.

"Babies under 12 months are in more danger of serious complications such as brain damage, because they can cough so violently that not enough oxygen gets to the brain."

Queensland's immunisation rates for whooping cough stand at 91.3 per cent - just below the national average.

But an individual's protection from the disease wanes over time and

Dr Selvey said it was vital parents of newborns ensured those in contact with the baby were also immunised.

"Parents need to ensure that whoever is in contact with their newborn is also vaccinated, whether they are carers, grandparents or neighbours' kids.

"A three-year-old could have whooping cough and be coughing near a newborn and that's how they can contract it."

Last year there were 2272 cases of whooping cough across all age groups in Queensland.

[Shiloh]

Re: Australia. Whooping cough: Nationwide Epidemic risk.

Source: http://camden.yourguide.com.au/news/...g/1481122.aspx

Whooping cough cases are climbing
12/04/2009 4:00:00 AM
DOCTORS are offering free whooping cough vaccinations after an outbreak of the contagious respiratory infection.

The vaccine is available from GPs to new parents, grandparents and people in regular contact with babies.

The offer was announced after the death of a child on the North Coast earlier this year. It was the first death of a child due to whooping cough in more than 10 years. There were 964 cases of whooping cough across the Sydney South-West Area Health Service last year. This year there have been 727 cases notified. The Health Service's Public Health Unit director, Stephen Conaty, said the best way to protect babies was to immunise them and vaccinate others in the household. ``We're seeing many babies who have contracted whooping cough from their parents, brothers and sisters,'' he said.

He said whooping cough often started with a runny nose, tiredness and sometimes a mild fever. ``Coughing bouts may develop followed by a deep gasp that sometimes produces a whooping sound, however adults often just have a cough.''

[Shiloh]

Re: Australia. Whooping cough: Nationwide Epidemic risk.

Source: http://walcha.yourguide.com.au/news/...px?storypage=0

Disease outbreak
9/04/2009 9:51:00 AM

WALCHA residents were warned to be on the lookout for suspicious coughs this week after an alarming number of whooping cough cases in the district in the past couple of months.

Across the Hunter New England Health area the number of whooping cough (pertussis) outbreaks increased from around 40 to 400 cases compared to the same time period last year.

While Hunter New England Health would not confirm figures for the Walcha area specifically, the Walcha News was told of a number of cases at the Kentucky Public School during Term 1 and some isolated cases among Walcha residents.

The number of cases reported across NSW has risen from 448 to 3356 over the same period.

The service?s health protection program manager Peter Massey said there was a dramatic increase in cases every three or four years.

?Until a few years ago there was no adult vaccine available and as childhood vaccinations wear off after six to 10 years, adults often pass the disease on to young children,? Mr Massey said.

?Booster immunisation against whooping cough is necessary to protect adolescents and adults against the disease especially during epidemics.?

Mr Massey said there was now a free immunisation program for pertussis for the parents, carers and grandparents of children less than 12 months in NSW.

?Anyone wishing to get vaccinated under the scheme should contact their GP soon as it is only available for a short time,? he said.

?And if you have had a persistent cough for more than a fortnight then you should see a doctor to help stop the potential spread of the disease as it is highly contagious.?

Current Australian recommendations are that children should be immunised at two, four and six months of age with a booster at four years of age and another booster at 12-17 years of age.

Mr Massey could not confirm the number of cases confirmed in the Walcha area however a four week old baby girl from the North coast area died from whooping cough last month.

?We cannot confirm the exact number of cases however it is an issue for every town in the Hunter New England area,? he said.

?It is an issue for every town in the Hunter New England area,? he said.

The Australian Medical Association (NSW) president Dr Brian Morton has urged new parents, grandparents and other adult carers of children less than 12 months to see their GP for free whooping cough vaccination.

?We commend NSW Health for offering this vaccination given the resurgence of this deadly disease and the first death in more than 10 years in NSW,? he said.

The younger the child, the more vulnerable they are to complications from whooping cough.

?The effectiveness of the vaccination depends on the number of people immunised. The baby?s death occurred in northern NSW where immunisation levels are lower than average.

?Mass immunisation is one of the most effective public health measures ever implemented and has seen the eradication of several deadly diseases. Unfortunately, when immunisation levels drop, diseases such as polio, whooping cough and measles emerge again.

?Studies of vaccination effects show that serious adverse side effects are very rare. The benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks,? Dr Morton said.

[Shiloh]

Re: Australia. Whooping cough: Nationwide Epidemic risk.

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...27/2553273.htm

Health unit warns against whooping cough complacency

Local health authorities are urging parents to ensure their children are fully immunised against whooping cough.

There have been 549 cases of the disease reported on the New South Wales north coast so far this year, compared to 122 for the same time last year, and 37 in 2007.

The North Coast Public Health Unit acting director, Greg Bell, says the situation is serious, and free booster shots have been made available for all new parents, grandparents, and people who work with children.

"In some ways we've become a little bit complacent in thinking that all these infectious diseases that were very prevalent in maybe our parents' day - were very, in some ways, feared in our parents' day - have now just been taken for granted that it won't happen and we're covered," he said.

"People need to realise that you're only covered providing the immunisation schedules are followed."

[Shiloh]

Re: Australia. Whooping cough: Nationwide Epidemic risk.

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...?site=ballarat

There has been a big jump in the number of cases of whooping cough in western Victoria.

The Department of Human Services says the number of cases in the Grampians region has increased from four cases at this time last year to more than 80 this year.

In the Loddon Mallee there were two cases last year and 55 so far this year.

Don McCrae from the Wimmera Health Care Group says it is the highest rise in cases in recent years.

"A lot of families are choosing not to immunise their children now, and people that have been immunised there's a low conversion rate, so there's a lot of people in the community that don't have very good resistance," he said.

[Shiloh]

Re: Australia. Whooping cough: Nationwide Epidemic risk.

Source: http://www.independentweekly.com.au/...y/1507328.aspx

Whooping cough vaccine runs dry
MELISSA MACK
9/05/2009 4:00:00 AM
Whooping cough is on the rise this year in SA, but there is a shortage of its lifesaving vaccine.

More than 830 cases of whooping cough have been reported this year ? six times as many as at the same time last year.

Whooping cough is a highly infectious disease, with babies most at risk of severe health problems or even death.

SA Health director of Communicable Disease Control Ann Koehler said the rise was part of the natural infection cycle, with recent data suggesting SA is entering a period of increased infection.

?We have also seen a large number of (whooping cough) cases in other states, including NSW, Queensland and ACT, and this has an impact on the number of people affected in SA.?

Rodney Pearce, GP and contributor to the Australian Immunisation Handbook, said whooping cough had a natural three-four year cycle.

Symptoms of the disease include a runny nose, sore throat and long bursts of coughing, which in young children ends with a whooping noise.

Mr Pearce said adults, in particular parents, should be vaccinated to prevent them passing the disease on to at-risk children.

?The biggest population at risk is infants younger than six months who haven?t been immunised or whose vaccine hasn?t become effective yet,? he said.

But the vaccine is practically unavailable in SA. Some people have been waiting a fortnight for the injection, only to be told it isn?t available.

?Lots of stock had been used in NSW. I called the suppliers four weeks ago and they said it wouldn?t be hard to get, but now it is.?

SA Health claimed the children?s program was not affected but admitted to a shortage of the adult vaccine, though it said a more expensive alternative was available.

Hyde Park pharmacist Darryl Wakelin said the last couple of weeks had seen an unexplained shortage of whooping cough vaccine.

?The suppliers must be running low for some reason but it?s unfortunate at this time of year, coming into winter,? he said.

Mr Pearce said there was a nation-wide call from doctors for the Government to fund a three-in-one vaccine to immunise against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough.

?Whooping cough is a preventable disease and increased vaccination could reduce its prevalence,? Mr Pearce said.

[Shiloh]

Re: Australia. Whooping cough: Nationwide Epidemic risk.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/national/whoop...0509-aygs.html

Whooping cough surges in NSW

* May 9, 2009 - 2:47PM

Medical experts are recommending the vaccination of adults, including expectant parents, in an attempt to combat a surge in whooping cough cases across NSW.

There has been a significant jump in the number of NSW whooping cough notifications, from 696 between January and March last year to 5444 for the same period this year, NSW Health Minister John Della Bosca says.

"I urge new parents, grandparents and adults who regularly care for infants less than 12 months old to get vaccinated against whooping cough," Mr Della Bosca told reporters in Sydney.

The condition, which is preventable but can prove fatal, is most commonly being diagnosed in children under six months old, head of paediatrics at The Children's Hospital at Westmead Ken Peacock said.

"This is certainly a significant surge," Dr Peacock said.

The immunisation course usually means a child is given a fourth dose at about four years old and another in their late teens, but the immunity status typically wanes after about 10 years, Dr Peacock said.

"Whooping cough is a preventable condition," he said.

"It causes significant morbidity and mortality for infants and so the importance of giving an immunisation to prevent such a condition is vital."

Free booster vaccinations are available from GPs across NSW.

AAP

[Shiloh]

Re: Australia. Whooping cough: Nationwide Epidemic risk.

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...12/2567843.htm

Health service reports massive whooping cough rise

There has been a dramatic increase in the number of reported whooping cough cases in the South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service.

In the first three months of this year, there have been 1,334 cases, compared to 136 for the same period last year.

This represents an 880 per cent increase.

State Health Minister John Della Bosca says indications are that April was another bad month and has urged parents and others who regularly care for infants to get vaccinated against whooping cough.

"Free booster vaccinations are available from GP's across the area and public health officials throughout NSW are advising all doctors that there are vaccinations freely available and encourage them to urge patients in the critical categories to get vaccinations," he said.

"NSW Health recommends that all children be given a combination of vaccine to protect against six conditions, including whooping cough.

"The vaccine is normally given at two months, four months and six months of age."

[nomadic wench]

Re: Australia. Whooping cough: Nationwide Epidemic risk.

I saw an obvious case of whooping cough on an overnight bus in Thailand about a month ago. Lots of other kids on the bus too.

Can't find anything about an epidemic in the news though.

[Shiloh]

Re: Australia. Whooping cough: Nationwide Epidemic risk.

Source: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news...w/1511510.aspx

Whooping cough hits ACT, NSW
13/05/2009 6:58:00 AM

Southern NSW health authorities are battling a severe outbreak of whooping cough with nearly 10 times the usual number of cases reported.

More than 290 cases of whooping cough have been reported in the Greater Southern Area Health Service, which includes Queanbeyan, Goulburn and the South Coast.

Only 30 cases were reported in the same period last year.

Parents have been urged to take up free booster shots and to vaccinate their babies two weeks earlier than normal to protect them from the disease.

NSW Health Minister John Della Bosca said in a statement that babies should start vaccination at six weeks instead of the usual two months.

[Shiloh]

Re: Australia. Whooping cough: Nationwide Epidemic risk.

Source: http://moruya.yourguide.com.au/news/...c/1511767.aspx

Whooping cough epidemic
BY KERRI-ANNE MESNER
13/05/2009 9:27:00 AM
Immunise early, urges Minister

Whooping cough has reached epidemic levels in the Eurobodalla and the whole Greater Southern Area Health Service region.

For more local news and photos grab a copy of the Bay Post or Moruya Examiner.

As of yesterday, there were 41 cases of whooping cough in the Eurobodalla, and more than 15 of those were school-aged children.

There were just nine cases in the Eurobodalla last year and 196 cases for the whole GSAHS region.

The whooping cough epidemic has seen a 976 per cent increase in confirmed cases across the GSAHS for the first three months of this year.

Health Minister John Della Bosca is urging new parents, grandparents and adults who regularly care for infants less than 12 months old to get vaccinated against whooping cough.

?There have been 296 reported cases in the first three months of the year, compared to 30 for the same period last year,? he said.

?While April?s figures are not in yet, indications are it was another bad month, so I urge new parents, grandparents and adults who regularly care for infants less than 12 months old, to get vaccinated against whooping cough.

?This is a serious illness which can result in hospitalisation and even death and we urge all new parents, grandparents and any other adult who regularly cares for infants less than 12 months of age, to get a free booster.?

Symptoms of whooping cough initially may include runny nose, tiredness and mild fever.

Coughing bouts then develop followed by a big deep gasp that sometimes produces a whooping sound. Vomiting may follow these bouts of coughing. Adults often just have an ongoing cough without the whoop.

?Whooping cough is easily spread to other people by droplets from coughing, so it is important people are diagnosed and treated early with special antibiotics to help stop it spreading,? Mr Della Bosca said.

?They should also stay away from others, especially small children, until they?re no longer infectious.

He said in light of the current outbreak, parents and GPs are asked to bring the first dose forward to six weeks of age to provide earlier protection.

[Shiloh]

Re: Australia. Whooping cough: Nationwide Epidemic risk.

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...13/2569083.htm

More whooping cough tests 'may explain rise'

The Illawarra Division of General Practice's chairman says increased testing for whooping cough in the region might explain an explosion in the number of reported cases this year.

There have been more than 1,300 cases in the first three months of this year in the South Eastern Sydney Illawarra Area Health Service region compared to just 134 for the same period last year.

Dr John McAlpine says it is normal to see a fluctuation in cases from year to year.

But he says increased awareness about the illness among patients could explain the spike in reports.

"Maybe the GPs are ordering the tests more because patients are coming in more and requesting to be tested for whooping cough," Dr McAlpine said.

"The actual laboratory identifies to the Government all the positive cases, so once a GP orders a test that proves to be whooping cough, that automatically gets reported to the Department of Health."

[Shiloh]

Re: Australia. Whooping cough: Nationwide Epidemic risk.

Source: http://www.bordermail.com.au/news/lo...r/1512956.aspx

Whooping cough strikes on Border
SALLY EVANS
14/05/2009 12:00:00 AM

WHOOPING cough is causing more concern for health authorities on the Border than swine flu.

More than 30 cases of whooping cough have been reported in Albury since the start of the year, compared to just one for the same period in 2008.

In Wodonga, the number of cases have increased by three to five, while Wangaratta has seen a jump from one to 15.

Greater Southern Area Health Service director of public health Tracey Oakman yesterday warned of the dangers of whooping cough following the death of a young girl on the NSW north coast earlier this year.

?Across NSW we?ve seen an outbreak of more serious proportions than swine flu,? she said.

?We have had a death from whooping cough this year and we haven?t had one from swine flu.

?So everyone needs to be aware that it isn?t a disease that?s disappeared ? it?s here and now and it is a serious concern.?

Ms Oakman said cases of whooping cough were being seen in all age groups, with a high rate of incidence among children under the age of five.

She said it is more serious in small children and could result in death.

Older children may be less affected by the illness, with bouts of coughing that continue for several weeks regardless of treatment.

Ms Oakman said whooping cough was a highly contagious bacterial disease readily spread by droplets from coughing.

To help protect babies, free vaccinations were available for children aged two, four and six months from local general practitioners.

Free booster vaccinations are also being offered to the carers of newborn babies.

?Whooping cough can be life-threatening and many of the cases we are seeing are in unimmunised people,? Ms Oakman said.

?Immunisation is one way parents can protect their children and I encourage parents to make sure their children?s vaccinations are up to date.?

Anyone who has a cough for three or more days should stay home from work, school or child care and consult their doctor.