Rise in whooping cough cases, mostly affecting Western Cape children

Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, is increasing in SA after a lull during lockdown, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said on Wednesday.

From the beginning of the year to September 15, the NICD said 147 pertussis cases were notified.

A steady increase in cases reported was noted since May — with a sharp rise from July (23 cases) through August (33) and September (53).

Of the 147 cases, 77% were in children younger than five, most of them younger than three months.

The majority of cases (42%) were from the Western Cape.

In July and August, the cases reported were evenly distributed across provinces and in keeping with numbers reported before the Covid-19 pandemic. However, in September the majority of cases (79%) were from the Western Cape.

Pertussis is a vaccine-preventable disease. Immunity after vaccination is expected to last for five to six years. 

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 followed by a whooping sound and/or vomiting after coughing.

Explaining why few pertussis cases were reported in 2020 and 2021, the institute said this was likely as a result of decreased transmission related to non-pharmaceutical interventions to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

The NICD encouraged parents and guardians with children under the age of five to ensure they are up-to-date with vaccination and to seek medical help early, especially for the very young where the illness may be severe.

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