Aussies warned amid national outbreak of ‘incredibly dangerous’ illness in children

Cases of whooping cough, which can be deadly for infants, are on the rise in Australia with infections this year already four times the total number in 2023. Aussies are being warned of a national outbreak with cases of the contagious infection, also known as pertussis , sweeping across the country.

Whooping cough, a respiratory tract infection that is easily preventable by receiving a vaccine, is particularly dangerous for infants. It can cause a deep cough, as well as symptoms including a runny nose, nasal congestion and sneezing.

The infection can be deadly for babies, according to the Royal College of General Practitioners rural chair Michael Clements, who said many infants and adult patients with whooping cough have also tested positive to several other viruses at the same time like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or Covid-19.

Dr Daniel Golshevsky, a Melbourne-based paediatrician, previously told Yahoo News Australia it is extremely, extremely contagious. “The biggest risk is that it doesn’t cause babies to cough, but it causes apnea which is pauses in breathing, it can be fatal,” he said.

Parents expressing concern over deadly illness

Concerned parents have recently taken to social media to share their experiences with the widespread infection, which is showing signs of becoming rampant across the world, including in the UK and the US.

The number of people reported with whooping cough in the US has also been increasing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Preliminary CDC data as of June 1 in 2024 reported cases are more than twice as high this year compared to the same period last year.

One mum, from a small US town, said residents were issued with a whooping cough notice amid a recent outbreak. “Please be vigilant and keep your sick children at home! Whooping cough can be incredibly dangerous for children,” she warned.

Meanwhile, another mother from the UK, where a total of eight infants have reportedly died from the infection this year, expressed concern about her five-month-old baby who’s had a “never-ending cough.” She admitted to feeling worried about the rapid increase of whopping cough cases, and that he might be infected.

Cases on the rise in Australia, with some states worse than others

In Australia, more than 60 per cent of cases this year have been in children under 14, with NSW health warning of “unseasonably high” infections of whooping cough and pneumonia in school-aged children.

Total infections have already emerged past pre-pandemic levels to more than 12,900 so far in 2024, which is four times the number of total infections in 2023.

As of June 30, NSW had 5,372 cases, while Queensland had recorded 4,951 cases. In comparison, in 2023 Queensland had recorded 927 cases, and NSW 914 for the entire year.

“These are spikes, we certainly have to acknowledge that they are big increases over the last few years,” Clements said. “What’s hard to know is how to interpret it, so whether or not we’re just interpreting a return to normal behavior post Covid.”

In Western Australia, cases have more than tripled since last year, the ABC recently reported. The state’s South West has recorded a larger number of cases this year than Perth.

There have been 271 cases identified in 2024 across the state so far and one death this year. It’s the highest number of cases Western Australia has had since 2019.

Spike in illnesses putting pressure on hospitals

A spike in illnesses, including whooping cough, the flu and gastro, which have also emerged, has added “unprecedented” pressure on some hospitals.

More than 170,000 influenza cases have been confirmed so far in 2024, with 29 per cent of them in children under nine years of age. Infections in 2024 are already 27 per cent higher than the first six months of 2023.

“We certainly are concerned that this is going to continue to increase and potentially overwhelm the hospital systems,” Dr Clements said.

The whooping cough vaccine is free in Australia for babies, four-year-olds, pregnant women and teenagers aged 12 to 13.

with AAP

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