What is whooping cough?
Whooping cough is highly infectious and is usually passed from person to person through droplets containing the bacteria moving through the air, often at high speed from coughing around uninfected people.
When infected with pertussis the sufferer has violent attacks of coughing, with a characteristic ‘whoop’ caused when you try to take a breath in during a coughing attack.
This infection can affect anyone, but is particularly dangerous when infants get the infection as their air passages are so tiny that their breathing may stop during a coughing attack. This means that they may need to be hospitalised to monitor their breathing, particularly if under one years old.
Most children are immunised against whooping cough before going to school, if their immunisations are up to date according to New Zealand’s immunisation schedule for children.
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What are the symptoms of whooping cough?
Early symptoms of whooping cough are similar to having a cold. The cough is usually a dry cough and no phlegm is produced. Coughing fits may become severe and it is not uncommon to cough until you vomit. The condition has also been called the 100-day cough, symptoms can continue for over three months.
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What is the treatment for whooping cough?
The most effective treatment for whooping cough is prevention, though childhood immunisations. All babies in New Zealand are offered a whooping cough vaccination as a part of childhood immunisations.
Older children may be offered a free “booster” vaccination for whooping cough and other serious life threatening diseases generally aged about 10 or 11. Adults can also have booster vaccination against whooping cough, and this is particularly important if pregnant or are commonly around infants. At the moment New Zealand has an outbreak or epidemic of whooping cough so it is important that your immunisations and those of your family are up to date.
Treatment for whooping cough is usually specific antibiotics if treatment is started early enough, so it is important to see your doctor at once if you suspect you have whooping cough.
Other treatments are generally for the symptoms of whooping cough, such as decongestants for runny nose and pain relieving medicines for fever. Cough mixtures are generally not beneficial so should not be used.
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How do you prevent the spread of whooping cough?
Hand hygiene is very important whenever anyone has any infection, especially high contagious infections like whooping cough.
People with a cough should always cover their mouth when coughing to prevent expelling infected air and fluid. After coughing, always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, drying your hands completely with disposable paper towels to prevent other people accidentally using the same towels as someone with an infection.
Antiseptic hand rubs are helpful if used between hand washes, but should not be relied upon to totally prevent the spread of injection.
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Treatment
If you suspect you or one of your family or friends have whooping cough you can contact our community pharmacy team for more information and treatment options.
Our community pharmacy team can also advise you about immunisation for you, your family and those you are in contact with. Vaccinations are especially important during the whooping cough epidemic currently affecting New Zealand.
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