Townsville whooping cough cases soar elevenfold as spread hits school

Townsville is battling a wave of whooping cough with case numbers skyrocketing to levels 11 times higher than average. It comes as a school confirmed a case this week.

Townsville is battling a wave of whooping cough with case numbers skyrocketing to levels 11 times higher than average.

The Townsville Hospital and Health Service so far this year has reported 146 whooping cough (pertussis) cases as of Sunday, August 11, dramatically outpacing the year-to-date average of just 13 cases seen over the previous five years.

Recent weekly reports indicate that the outbreak is far from under control, with new infections steadily rising.

The week commencing Monday, August 5, saw 15 new cases, following 12 cases the previous week and a peak of 19 cases in the week commencing July 22.

The community’s concerns were further heightened with the confirmation of a whooping cough case at Pimlico State High School on Tuesday.

A person who attended the school tested positive, sparking worries among parents and staff.

However, Principal Stephen Baskerville has moved to reassure the school community, stressing the importance of vaccination in preventing severe illness.

Pimlico State High School confirmed a whooping cough case at the school on Tuesday.

“Providing children and staff are adequately vaccinated, they are unlikely to have a severe illness, even if they do become infected,” Principal Baskerville stated in a letter to parents.

“If your child develops a troublesome and persistent cough, take him/her to your doctor promptly (even if they are fully immunised) and mention he/she may have had contact with someone with whooping cough.

“Whooping cough can only spread through coughing, and those in the first three weeks of the illness should stay away from childcare or school until they have completed at least five days of an appropriate antibiotic. This is important to prevent further spread.”

In whooping cough, bacteria affect the lungs and airways, causing a person to cough violently and uncontrollably. This can make it hard for the infected person to breathe and is most serious in babies.

On average each year in Australia, in the absence of maternal vaccination, one infant dies and more than 200 are hospitalised because of whooping cough, the federal health department says. It can lead to pneumonia, brain damage and death.

Originally published as Townsville whooping cough cases soar elevenfold as spread hits school