Whooping cough (pertussis)
Health alert
Status: Active
Last updated: 2 October 2024
Issue date: 24 June 2024
Issued by: Chief Health Officer
Issued to: Health professionals
Pertussis or whooping cough, is a highly contagious disease of the respiratory tract (nose and throat) caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis.
Current situation
Increased numbers of pertussis disease are occurring in the NT and across Australia.
National pertussis notifications continue to increase in 2024 with the highest proportion of notifications in school-aged children and young adults (aged 10‐19 years).
NT has seen an increase in cases since June 2024 and more cases are expected.
The risk of hospitalisations from pertussis infection is highest in infants under 3 months of age.
Decreased vaccination coverage, waning immunity and lower case numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic 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 Government Department of Health and Aged Care |
| 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 Public Health Unit’s Centre for Disease Control.
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