Twelve cases of whooping cough in Dubbo have been reported this year, but none of them this month.
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A spokeswoman for Western NSW Local Health District Public Health says it is seeing a “slight increase” in whooping cough cases across the district but “they remain low when compared with previous years”.
On November 23 the health district issued an alert on the possibility of a outbreak of whooping cough within it boundaries.
Whooping cough had been on the rise since August with 19 cases reported in October and 21 in November, bringing total cases for the year to 90.
Whooping cough or pertussis is a serious respiratory infection that causes a long coughing illness.
Controlling the spread of whooping cough is necessary to stop babies from becoming seriously ill or dying.
Vaccination against whooping cough is being encouraged for pregnant women in their third trimester, children, infants and people in contact with them, including grandparents.
“People suspected of whooping cough should stay home, and keep away from small babies, until cleared by a test or they have completed five days of antibiotics,” a spokeswoman for the health district’s public health unit said.
She said whooping cough had no distinct seasonal pattern, although there could be a higher number of cases in spring and summer.
The spokeswoman explained how the disease spread and identified families, childcare centres and schools as being vulnerable.
“Whooping cough is spread when an infectious person coughs bacteria into the air which can be inhaled by people nearby,” she said
“If they are not treated early, whooping cough is highly infectious in the first three weeks.
“It spreads easily through families, childcare centres and at school.
“Whooping cough spreads from person to person, so it is not unusual that clusters arise in schools and preschools.
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“People living in the same household as someone with whooping cough are especially at risk.
“It is unlikely to spread via brief encounters, as may occur in a pharmacy.”
The spokeswoman said vaccination was the “single best way” to prevent whooping cough although not everyone would get an immune response and immunity waned with time.
The state government provides free vaccines to pregnant women.
