Pertussis (whooping cough)

Statutory notification alert

• Pertussis infection is a notifiable infectious disease in Western Australia.
• See notifiable communicable disease case definitions (Word 1.29MB).
• Notifications should be made using the communicable disease notification form for metropolitan residents (PDF 214KB) or regional residents (PDF 213KB).
• For notification of regional residents see contact details of public health units.
• See also description of Statutory medical notifications in Western Australia.

Public health management

Important information

• Infectious agent: Bordetella pertussis bacteria.
• Transmission: Pertussis is spread to other people by droplets from coughing or sneezing.
• Incubation period: Usually 7 to 10 days (ranges from 4 to 21 days).
• Infectious period: Untreated, a person with pertussis can spread it to other people for up to three weeks after onset of cough.
• Case exclusion: People diagnosed with pertussis should stay away from school and work while infectious (up to 21 days) or until they have completed 5 days of a course of a recommended antibiotic. It is particularly important not to expose young children (e.g. at child care centres) to infection. See Pertussis – National Guidelines for Public Health Units (external site).
• Contact exclusion: Exclude unimmunised contacts from childcare. See Pertussis – National Guidelines for Public Health Units (external site).
• Treatment: Antibiotic treatment as recommended by the doctor.
• Immunisation: Recommended that children be vaccinated according to the Western Australian vaccination schedule. Vaccination is also recommended for adults planning a pregnancy; parents of infants and other household carers, including grand-parents; and for adults who work with young children (e.g. child-care and health-care workers) See Australian Immunisation Handbook 10th edition, Department of Health (external site).
• Case follow-up: Is conducted by public health units (Healthy WA) and the Communicable Disease Control Directorate.

Guidelines for health providers

• Western Australian vaccination schedule
• Pertussis fact sheet (Healthy WA)
• Australian Immunisation Handbook 10th edition, Department of Health (external site)
• Communicable Disease Guidelines, for teachers, child care workers, local government authorities and medical practitioners

Guidelines for public health units

• OD 0660/16 - Adoption by WA Health of ‘Series of National Guidelines’ (SoNGS) produced by the Communicable Diseases Network Australia for public health management of communicable diseases (external site)
• Pertussis – National Guidelines for Public Health Units (external site)
• Pertussis fact sheet (Healthy WA)
• Pertussis public health unit checklist (Word 565KB)
• Pertussis case investigation form (Word 295KB)

Notifiable disease data and reports

• Up-to-date pertussis notification data
• General infectious disease reports