Whooping cough (pertussis)
Pertussis or whooping cough is a highly contagious disease of the respiratory tract (nose and throat) caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis. It can cause severe disease, and even death.
Current situation
Increased cases of pertussis are occurring in the NT and across Australia.
National pertussis notifications increased in 2024-25 to the highest level recorded in Australia in 35 years, with the highest proportion of notifications in school-aged children (aged 5‐14 years).
NT has seen an increase in cases since 2024 and more cases are expected.
The risk of hospitalisations from pertussis infection is highest in infants under 3 months of age.
Decreased childhood vaccination coverage and waning immunity and in recent years has made risk of spread high.
Alerts to health professionals
Notifiable disease
Pertussis is a notifiable disease.
Vaccine
Read about immunisations on the Northern Territory Government website.
Information for health professionals
| Type | Resource | Author |
|---|---|---|
| Document | Pertussis information for general practitioners PDF (155.8 KB) | NT Health |
| Document | Pertussis (whooping cough) fact sheet PDF (582.2 KB) | NT Health |
| Document | Pertussis (whooping cough) - CDNA National Guidelines for Public Health Units | Australian Centre for Disease Control |
| Website | Immunisation schedules | NT Health |
| Website | Whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care |
Information for the public
| Type | Resource | Author |
|---|---|---|
| Document | Azithromycin for contacts of person with Pertussis PDF (598.8 KB) | NT Health |
| Webpage | Pertussis (Whooping cough) | NT Government |
| Webpage | Whooping cough | Health Direct |
Exclusion periods for schools and daycares
There is a minimum period of exclusion from school, pre-school or childcare for children or educators with this infectious disease.
Get a copy of the time out minimum periods of exclusion.
Contact
Contact the Northern Territory’s Centre for Disease Control.
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