Whooping cough alert

Jabs advised as 14 cases at Yungaburra

YUNGABURRA is in the grips of a whooping cough outbreak.

More than a dozen cases have been identified in the town since the start of the year.

Health officials have issued Tablelands general practitioners with warning letters about the outbreak to encourage patients to be vaccinated against the infectious disease.

The Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service has confirmed 14 cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, since January 1.

It is understood several of the cases have occurred at Yungaburra State School.

Tropical Public Health Cairns director Dr Richard Gair said, while the overall number of whooping cough cases for the area was higher than the long-term average, it was less compared to the number of reported infections in 2017.

“This is in line with high numbers of pertussis cases notified across the region,” he said.

He said the public health unit had arranged for letters to go out from schools and had provided information about the vaccine-preventable disease to schools.

“This outlines the seriousness of pertussis, its symptoms, course of treatment, exclusion periods and that vaccinations and boosters are available from local doctors,” he said.“Vaccination against pertussis is part of the routine vaccination schedule for all children.

“Parents and grandparents are encouraged to receive a booster, even if they have been immunised as children, because the immunity can reduce as they get older.”

Whooping cough is considered to be highly contagious and can affect people of any age. The disease can start with cold-like symptoms and an irritating cough which can develop into bouts of coughing. That might be followed by dry retching or vomiting.

In children, the cough may end with a crowing noise (the whoop) as air is drawn back into the chest.

Adults and older children may have only mild symptoms, but can still pass the infection to others, including babies.

Whooping cough bacteria are highly infectious and are spread to other people by an infected person coughing and sneezing. The infection can also be passed on through direct contact with infected secretions from the mouth or nose.