What is Pertussis? ALERT issued for ‘disease outbreak’ across SA

Parents have been told to get their kids 'fully vaccinated', after an outbreak of Pertussis was reported in SA - but what are the symptoms?

Sep 21, 2022 - 15:30
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What is Pertussis? ALERT issued for ‘disease outbreak’ across SA

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has notified the public about an outbreak of Pertussis, after a spike in cases put experts on high alert. Concerningly, the disease is largely affecting young children and infants.

What is Pertussis? NICD explain new outbreak

Otherwise known as ‘whooping cough’, Pertussis cases can be ‘severe and uncontrollable’. Many patients are exhausted as a result of continuous and violent coughing fits, with some even vomiting after a particularly traumatic episode.

According to the NICD, Pertussis outbreaks are ‘relatively common’ in vaccinated populations:

“Pertussis, commonly known as ‘whooping cough’ is a vaccine-preventable disease. Immunity following vaccination is thought to last for up to six years. Episodic increases in pertussis cases occur in vaccinated populations every three-to-five years, however.”

NICD statement

Why the NICD has flagged this particular disease…

According to data provided by the Institute, there have been some troubling signs this winter. Around three-quarters of all cases reported this year have been logged since the start of June. However, approximately HALF of this cohort were registered in September alone.

  • From the beginning of 2022 to the present day, 147 pertussis cases were notified.
  • Sharp increases have been noted during the winter, with 109 cases recorded in the past three months.
  • What’s most concerning for the NICD, however, is that 53 pertussis cases have been logged in just the first 15 DAYS of September.
  • Around 77% of those affected are children under the age of five – a large majority of which are also younger than three-months-old.
  • The Western Cape is responsible for 79% of cases reported during the ‘September Surge’.
  • Every parent in SA has been urged to ensure their children are ‘up to date’ with all necessary vaccinations.
Pertussis
Figure 1: Number of notified pertussis cases from Notifiable Medical Conditions (NMC) surveillance system, 2018-2022 – Photo: NICD

What are the symptoms of Pertussis?

Following a surge in cases, the NICD is now encouraging parents to seek medical advice as soon as possible, should their children display any signs of having Pertussis. The symptoms have been outlined in the latest guidance:

“Pertussis symptoms may vary from person to person. Initial signs and symptoms are similar to the common cold and may include nasal congestion, runny nose, mild sore throat, mild dry cough and minimal or no fever.”

“Days later, the cough can become more severe and is characterised by episodes of paroxysms (violent and uncontrolled coughing that is exhausting and painful) followed by a whooping sound and/or vomiting after coughing.” | NICD statement