Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yesterday on the show, a listener got in touch chasing
information about what he said was a growing number of
hooping cough cases in Catherine, saying at least one school
would sent a letter home to parents, and two adults
that he knows have also come down with it in
the last couple of weeks. Now joining us on the
line to talk more about this is Anti Health Public
(00:21):
Health Physician Center for Disease Control here in Darwin, Doctor
Yashish your dove. Good morning to you, Good morning Katy,
Thanks so much for your time this morning. Now, doctor
can you tell us has there been an increased number
of hooping cough cases in Catherine?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Yes, I mean, although we haven't received notifications for whooping
cough this month from Catherine, I think the last case
is received from that area was in April, and we've
had around fifty across the territory this year. But although
(01:05):
the numbers have been increasing over the year, but we're
still getting some cases from the regions that we cannot
link to other known cases, which suggests that there is
some ongoing community transmission and we aren't catching all of them.
So it is out there. It's just that people are
(01:27):
not getting tested so I would encourage people to get
tested if they have some lingering cough.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
So do we have any idea, I mean of the
number of cases that have been tested and that have
gone into clinics, just how many cases we may have
seen a hooping cough in that area.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Yes, so we've had seventeen in Darwin Region and six
in Catherine. But that is across the year since January,
and these numbers are quite big. And last year as well,
we have had almost one hundred and twenty cases in
(02:06):
the NTY and in fact, last year across Australia we
had around fifty seven thousand cases of whooping cough. Wow,
which is very alarming.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Yeah, yeah, it is alarming. And I mean to those
out there listening this morning, they don't know exactly what
the symptoms of whooping cough are. Can you talk us
through it?
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Absolutely? So. Whooping cough it's a highly contagious bacterial infection
which is caused by a bacteria. Although the spread is
exactly similar to what we see in other respiratory infections
which are caused by viruses like influenza or covid. So
basically it spreads by direct contact with mouth or no
(02:52):
secretions or when a person who has the infection coughs
or sneezes, and it can also spread by sharing utensils, food,
or even sometimes by kissing. The symptoms you usually begin
like cold, so you can have a runny nose or sniffles.
(03:13):
You can have mild cough in the beginning, but with
time the cough versions, and that's where the name comes from.
It's called whooping cough. So it's like pouts of coughing
which end up in a whoop like sound. So and
then you can have complications as well. It can lead
(03:34):
to vomiting, and it can lead to pneumonia, brain damage,
and it can also cause death.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
So it is absolutely vital really to get vaccinated. I mean,
is a is it a vaccination that you know when
the kids go through the vaccination process at school that happens,
talk us through how you can get vaccinated.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Absolutely, So vaccination remains the most effective defense against whooping
cough and it can really help to reduce its transmission.
So the vaccines are available for children. There are six
doses of vaccine, starting from six weeks to two months
(04:18):
four ONNS, six months, eighteen months and then four years
and then up to twenty years of age and these
are all free and safe and effective. They all come
under the National Iminization Program. So yeah, anyone who has
(04:38):
a tendency to catch whooping cough, so there are certain
groups who have a higher risk, they should all get
and get the vaccine as early as possible.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
And doctor, we also know that it is really this
time of year I guess when flu cases become a
concern in terms of the flu. Has there been more
cases in the Northern Territory or how are we tracking
at the moment?
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Yeah, flu cases are consistent at this time of the
year what we have seen in the past here, so
across the NTY we sort of see flu notifications across
all months, so it can vary depending on the top
end or if you're from Central Australia. So we are
(05:23):
seeing a rise in cases in Central Australia now and
although we are getting notifications from the top end as well,
but the numbers have been a bit stable lately. But
as I said, we get cases throughout the year for flu.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
Yeah, and do you know if in terms of the
flu or the strain of flu. I guess that we
are saying across Australia at the moment. In different you know,
different times over different years, we get told that it
is quite a severe strain of flu. Do we know
how it is looking this time around.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Yeah, So the flu virus has a tendency to mutate.
So every year, depending on the strains which are circulating globally,
the recommendation is made and those trains are included in
the vaccine. And that's why it is recommended to have
the vaccine shots every year. And it is important because
(06:23):
the flu virus can again be very dangerous as well.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Well. Doctor Asheeshia Dove, it has been really good to
speak to you this morning. I appreciate your time. Just
in terms of just a very quick last one just
in terms of the hooping cough. New parents, I'm assuming
that they are certainly or if you're planning on being
in contact with a new baby, that it is definitely
recommended that you get vaccinated.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Absolutely, I think, because whooping cough is most dangerous for babies.
Most hospital stays and deaths from whooping cough happening baby
for not really old enough to receive all the vaccine doses,
So it is very very important to make sure that
all the infants and these kids are vaccinated on time.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Well, doctor, it is great to speak to you this morning.
I really appreciate your time. Thank you very much for
joining us today.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Thank you Katie for having me.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Thank you
Yesterday on the show, a listener got in touch chasing
information about what he said was a growing number of
hooping cough cases in Catherine, saying at least one school
would sent a letter home to parents, and two adults
that he knows have also come down with it in
the last couple of weeks. Now joining us on the
line to talk more about this is Anti Health Public
(00:21):
Health Physician Center for Disease Control here in Darwin, Doctor
Yashish your dove. Good morning to you, Good morning Katy,
Thanks so much for your time this morning. Now, doctor
can you tell us has there been an increased number
of hooping cough cases in Catherine?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Yes, I mean, although we haven't received notifications for whooping
cough this month from Catherine, I think the last case
is received from that area was in April, and we've
had around fifty across the territory this year. But although
(01:05):
the numbers have been increasing over the year, but we're
still getting some cases from the regions that we cannot
link to other known cases, which suggests that there is
some ongoing community transmission and we aren't catching all of them.
So it is out there. It's just that people are
(01:27):
not getting tested so I would encourage people to get
tested if they have some lingering cough.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
So do we have any idea, I mean of the
number of cases that have been tested and that have
gone into clinics, just how many cases we may have
seen a hooping cough in that area.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Yes, so we've had seventeen in Darwin Region and six
in Catherine. But that is across the year since January,
and these numbers are quite big. And last year as well,
we have had almost one hundred and twenty cases in
(02:06):
the NTY and in fact, last year across Australia we
had around fifty seven thousand cases of whooping cough. Wow,
which is very alarming.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Yeah, yeah, it is alarming. And I mean to those
out there listening this morning, they don't know exactly what
the symptoms of whooping cough are. Can you talk us
through it?
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Absolutely? So. Whooping cough it's a highly contagious bacterial infection
which is caused by a bacteria. Although the spread is
exactly similar to what we see in other respiratory infections
which are caused by viruses like influenza or covid. So
basically it spreads by direct contact with mouth or no
(02:52):
secretions or when a person who has the infection coughs
or sneezes, and it can also spread by sharing utensils, food,
or even sometimes by kissing. The symptoms you usually begin
like cold, so you can have a runny nose or sniffles.
(03:13):
You can have mild cough in the beginning, but with
time the cough versions, and that's where the name comes from.
It's called whooping cough. So it's like pouts of coughing
which end up in a whoop like sound. So and
then you can have complications as well. It can lead
(03:34):
to vomiting, and it can lead to pneumonia, brain damage,
and it can also cause death.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
So it is absolutely vital really to get vaccinated. I mean,
is a is it a vaccination that you know when
the kids go through the vaccination process at school that happens,
talk us through how you can get vaccinated.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Absolutely, So vaccination remains the most effective defense against whooping
cough and it can really help to reduce its transmission.
So the vaccines are available for children. There are six
doses of vaccine, starting from six weeks to two months
(04:18):
four ONNS, six months, eighteen months and then four years
and then up to twenty years of age and these
are all free and safe and effective. They all come
under the National Iminization Program. So yeah, anyone who has
(04:38):
a tendency to catch whooping cough, so there are certain
groups who have a higher risk, they should all get
and get the vaccine as early as possible.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
And doctor, we also know that it is really this
time of year I guess when flu cases become a
concern in terms of the flu. Has there been more
cases in the Northern Territory or how are we tracking
at the moment?
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Yeah, flu cases are consistent at this time of the
year what we have seen in the past here, so
across the NTY we sort of see flu notifications across
all months, so it can vary depending on the top
end or if you're from Central Australia. So we are
(05:23):
seeing a rise in cases in Central Australia now and
although we are getting notifications from the top end as well,
but the numbers have been a bit stable lately. But
as I said, we get cases throughout the year for flu.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
Yeah, and do you know if in terms of the
flu or the strain of flu. I guess that we
are saying across Australia at the moment. In different you know,
different times over different years, we get told that it
is quite a severe strain of flu. Do we know
how it is looking this time around.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Yeah, So the flu virus has a tendency to mutate.
So every year, depending on the strains which are circulating globally,
the recommendation is made and those trains are included in
the vaccine. And that's why it is recommended to have
the vaccine shots every year. And it is important because
(06:23):
the flu virus can again be very dangerous as well.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Well. Doctor Asheeshia Dove, it has been really good to
speak to you this morning. I appreciate your time. Just
in terms of just a very quick last one just
in terms of the hooping cough. New parents, I'm assuming
that they are certainly or if you're planning on being
in contact with a new baby, that it is definitely
recommended that you get vaccinated.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Absolutely, I think, because whooping cough is most dangerous for babies.
Most hospital stays and deaths from whooping cough happening baby
for not really old enough to receive all the vaccine doses,
So it is very very important to make sure that
all the infants and these kids are vaccinated on time.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Well, doctor, it is great to speak to you this morning.
I really appreciate your time. Thank you very much for
joining us today.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Thank you Katie for having me.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Thank you
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