Sunshine Coast Health’s Public Health Unit has seen an increase in the number of pertussis (whooping cough) cases throughout the region in recent weeks.
Hospitals in the Sunshine Coast Health include Gympie, Sunshine Coast University, Nambour and Maleny hospitals.
There have already been 27 cases recorded in the health district this year.
The five-year average is 52 cases a year.
Whooping cough is a bacterial infection that spreads from one person to another.
It causes severe bouts of coughing.
It may cause serious health problems, more so in young babies and children.
The whooping cough vaccine is on the childhood immunisation schedule.
This vaccination has reduced the rate of illness and hospitalisation from whooping cough in Australia.
Locals can book an appointment with their GP to ensure their vaccinations are up to date.
Parents of school-aged children should receive a letter from the Public Health Unit in coming days with more information on Pertussis and its treatment.
Sunshine Coast Public Health Physician Dr Nicolas Smoll said most of the cases being presented are in school-aged children.
“So we’re noticing this all across the Sunshine Coast, both in adults and children,” Dr Smoll said.
“It’s typically worse in the unvaccinated child, which is why we’re hoping everyone can get vaccinated if they’re not vaccinated for this at the moment.”
Dr Smoll said for whooping cough, the classic symptom, is a barking cough.
“It’s this very deep and violent cough that can go for a long time, and sometimes people vomit after it,” Dr Smoll said.
“If a parent thinks their child has whooping cough, we’d like them to go to their GP and get tested.
He said it’s a similar, test Covid, with a nasopharyngeal swab that is sent off to a lab looking for the pertussis bacteria.
“This is actually not a virus, it’s a bacteria.
“And we can spread this for a long period of time.
“So early diagnosis means we can treat it with antibiotics, and thus we reduce the period of time the person is ill and spreading the illness.”
He also said pertussis, or whooping cough is spread in a similar way to Covid so using a mask, good hand hygiene and social distancing can help to prevent infection.
