title: Review of the 2008-2009 pertussis epidemic in NSW: notifications and hospitalisations.
abstract: In 2008 and 2009 increased numbers of pertussis notifications were reported in NSW. During the epidemic period, the pertussis notification rate was 2.7 times higher than the previous 5-year average. Rates of pertussis notifications and hospitalisations were highest among infants aged less than 1 year across all years studied. Compared to previous years, the notification rate for children aged 1-4 years increased dramatically and was particularly striking for children aged 3 years with notifications exceeding those for infants in 2009. Changes in testing practices during the epidemic period, including a significant increase in the use of polymerase chain reaction, may account for some of the relative increase in size of the 2008-2009 outbreak compared with previous outbreak years.
authors.affiliation: Communicable Diseases Branch, NSW Department of Health. pspok@doh.health.nsw.gov.au
authors.forename: Paula J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Spokes
authors.forename: Helen E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.forename: Jeremy M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: McAnulty
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018563:Disease Notification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult