Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/story/2010/02/04/deadly-infection-threatens-coast/
Deadly infection threatens Coast
Kathy Sundstrom | 4th February 2010
HEALTH specialists have been stunned by a Sunshine Coast outbreak of the potentially deadly whooping cough, with 216 cases diagnosed in the past three months.
Medical practitioners believe the decision of parents to not vaccinate is behind the latest outbreak of whooping cough.
HEALTH specialists have been stunned by a Sunshine Coast outbreak of the potentially deadly whooping cough, with 216 cases diagnosed in the past three months.
In the Sunshine Coast?s last outbreak, during the same period last year, only 68 cases were reported.
Public health physician Dr Andrew Langley said ?low levels of immunity? was the important factor behind the size of the latest outbreak.
The Sunshine Coast and northern New South Wales shared the lowest vaccination rate in the country with only 80% of the population vaccinating their children.
Australian Medical Association Queensland president Mason Stevenson said the national average was ?sitting at around 90%?.
The health of young babies is most at risk from the highly contagious bacterial infection.
Complications in infants include lung damage, brain damage, seizures and death. ?It is a distressing prolonged illness for adults and children,? Dr Stevenson said.
?But it is potentially life-threatening in children under six months with 50% requiring oxygenation, monitoring and supervision.
?As the medical profession, we believe it is important to maintain high immunisation levels in the community.?
Dr Stevenson said he did not believe the outbreak would end soon with ?many new cases? diagnosed on the Coast in all age groups.
?These numbers are unprecedented in recent living memory,? he said.
He said the number of people suffering from whooping cough could in reality be much higher as many patients did not have the swab or blood tests which officially confirmed a diagnosis.
Dr Stevenson said another factor in the rampant spread of the illness was ?the slow wearing off of immunity over many years?.
Dr Langley said Queensland Health has alerted childcare, maternity units and GPs to the outbreak and interventions they could provide.
?Queensland Health is providing free pertussis vaccine to birth, adoptive and foster parents of children born on or after May 1, 2009,? he said.
The Sunshine Coast is not the only region experiencing the outbreak with 89 cases confirmed state-wide in the week ending January 24, and 1559 cases in the past three months. Last year, there were 6154 cases in Queensland. In 2008, there were 2278, and in 2007, 1535.
Deadly infection threatens Coast
Kathy Sundstrom | 4th February 2010
HEALTH specialists have been stunned by a Sunshine Coast outbreak of the potentially deadly whooping cough, with 216 cases diagnosed in the past three months.
Medical practitioners believe the decision of parents to not vaccinate is behind the latest outbreak of whooping cough.
HEALTH specialists have been stunned by a Sunshine Coast outbreak of the potentially deadly whooping cough, with 216 cases diagnosed in the past three months.
In the Sunshine Coast?s last outbreak, during the same period last year, only 68 cases were reported.
Public health physician Dr Andrew Langley said ?low levels of immunity? was the important factor behind the size of the latest outbreak.
The Sunshine Coast and northern New South Wales shared the lowest vaccination rate in the country with only 80% of the population vaccinating their children.
Australian Medical Association Queensland president Mason Stevenson said the national average was ?sitting at around 90%?.
The health of young babies is most at risk from the highly contagious bacterial infection.
Complications in infants include lung damage, brain damage, seizures and death. ?It is a distressing prolonged illness for adults and children,? Dr Stevenson said.
?But it is potentially life-threatening in children under six months with 50% requiring oxygenation, monitoring and supervision.
?As the medical profession, we believe it is important to maintain high immunisation levels in the community.?
Dr Stevenson said he did not believe the outbreak would end soon with ?many new cases? diagnosed on the Coast in all age groups.
?These numbers are unprecedented in recent living memory,? he said.
He said the number of people suffering from whooping cough could in reality be much higher as many patients did not have the swab or blood tests which officially confirmed a diagnosis.
Dr Stevenson said another factor in the rampant spread of the illness was ?the slow wearing off of immunity over many years?.
Dr Langley said Queensland Health has alerted childcare, maternity units and GPs to the outbreak and interventions they could provide.
?Queensland Health is providing free pertussis vaccine to birth, adoptive and foster parents of children born on or after May 1, 2009,? he said.
The Sunshine Coast is not the only region experiencing the outbreak with 89 cases confirmed state-wide in the week ending January 24, and 1559 cases in the past three months. Last year, there were 6154 cases in Queensland. In 2008, there were 2278, and in 2007, 1535.
