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NSW Public Health Bulletin archive

Evidence of pertussis clusters in three aged-care facilities in the former Macquarie Area Health Service, NSW Volume 19 Issue 9-10

Ala'a Al-Murieb, Anthony M. Brown, Alexandra Raulli, Carol George, Carole Gander, Patsy Forrester, Sharwyn Gibson

New South Wales Public Health Bulletin 19(10) 157–160 https://dx.doi.org/10.1071/NB07054 Published online: 21 November 2008

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About the author/s

Ala'a Al-Murieb

Anthony M. Brown

Alexandra Raulli

Carol George

Carole Gander

Patsy Forrester

Sharwyn Gibson

Abstract

During a limited outbreak of pertussis in an area health service in NSW, three clusters occurred in aged-care facilities – the first reported outbreaks of pertussis in Australian nursing homes. The attack rates across the three clusters were 16.7% for staff and 15.7% for residents. Our investigation revealed that older adults are not immune to pertussis. We suggest methods for controlling a pertussis outbreak in an aged-care facility.