Whooping cough (pertussis) Pertussis is a notifiable disease—contact your local public health unit if an adult or child in the education and care service has pertussis. Description Whooping cough (pertussis) is a highly infectious disease caused by infection of the throat with the bacterium It affects babies, children and Bordetella pertussis. adults. The disease usually starts like a cold, with a runny nose, tiredness and sometimes a mild fever. A cough then develops, usually in short bouts followed by a deep gasp (or Not every person makes the whooping sound—this is more ‘whoop’). common in unimmunised children. The cough can last up to 3 months. Young babies may stop breathing and sometimes turn blue. Adolescents and adults may just have a persistent cough. One in four children will also develop pneumonia, some have fits (convulsions) and some may develop inflammation of the brain (encephalitis). Whooping cough is particularly serious in children under 12 months of age and hospitalisation is often necessary. How does it spread? Whooping cough spreads by airborne droplets. It can also spread indirectly by contact with surfaces that have been contaminated by infectious airborne droplets (e.g. hands tissues, toys, eating utensils). Incubation period The incubation period is usually 9–10 days, but may range from 6 to 20 days. Infectious period A person is infectious from the beginning of the cold-like symptoms and may remain infectious for up to 3 if untreated, or until the person has been treated with an appropriate antibiotic for 5 full days. Exclusion period People with whooping cough should be excluded for 21 days from the onset of symptoms, or until the person has taken an appropriate antibiotic for at least 5 days. Responsibilities of educators and other staff Contact your public health unit, who will assist in identifying at-risk children and staff, and will provide advice about excluding those at risk. Advise the parent to keep the child at home until the child is feeling well and has taken an appropriate antibiotic for at least 5 days; or keep the child at home for 21 days from the onset of symptoms.
Whooping cough (pertussis) Pertussis is a notifiable disease—contact your local public health unit if an adult or child in the education and care service has pertussis. Description Whooping cough (pertussis) is a highly infectious disease caused by infection of the throat with the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It affects babies, children and adults. The disease usually starts like a cold, with a runny nose, tiredness and sometimes a mild fever. A cough then develops, usually in short bouts followed by a deep gasp (or ‘whoop’). Not every person makes the whooping sound—this is more common in unimmunised children. The cough can last up to 3 months. Young babies may stop breathing and sometimes turn blue. Adolescents and adults may just have a persistent cough. One in four children will also develop pneumonia, some have fits (convulsions) and some may develop inflammation of the brain (encephalitis). Whooping cough is particularly serious in children under 12 months of age and hospitalisation is often necessary. How does it spread? Whooping cough spreads by airborne droplets. It can also spread indirectly by contact with surfaces that have been contaminated by infectious airborne droplets (e.g. hands tissues, toys, eating utensils). Incubation period The incubation period is usually 9–10 days, but may range from 6 to 20 days. Infectious period A person is infectious from the beginning of the cold-like symptoms and may remain infectious for up to 3 if untreated, or until the person has been treated with an appropriate antibiotic for 5 full days. Exclusion period People with whooping cough should be excluded for 21 days from the onset of symptoms, or until the person has taken an appropriate antibiotic for at least 5 days. Responsibilities of educators and other staff Contact your public health unit, who will assist in identifying at-risk children and staff, and will provide advice about excluding those at risk. Advise the parent to keep the child at home until the child is feeling well and has taken an appropriate antibiotic for at least 5 days; or keep the child at home for 21 days from the onset of symptoms.
shicc_draft_consultation.docx