Australian national notifiable diseases case definitions
Pertussis case definition
This document contains the case definitions for pertussis which is nationally notifiable within Australia. This definition should be used to determine whether a case should be notified.
Communicable Diseases Surveillance
Australian national notifiable diseases case definitions - Pertussis
Reporting
Both confirmed cases and probable cases should be notified.Confirmed case
A confirmed case requires either:• Laboratory definitive evidence
OR
•Laboratory suggestive evidence AND clinical evidence
OR
•clinical evidence AND epidemiological evidence
Laboratory definitive evidence
1. Isolation of Bordetella pertussisOR
2. Detection of B. pertussis by nucleic acid testing.
Laboratory suggestive evidence
1. Seroconversion or significant increase in antibody level or fourfold or greater rise in titre to B. pertussis in the absence of recent pertussis vaccination)OR
2. Single high IgA titre to whole cells
OR
3. Detection of B. pertussis antigen by immunofluorescence assay (IFA).
Clinical evidence
1. A coughing illness lasting two or more weeksOR
2. Paroxysms of coughing OR inspiratory whoop OR post-tussive vomiting.
Epidemiological evidence
An epidemiological link is established when there is:1. Contact between two people involving a plausible mode of transmission at a time when:
a) one of them is likely to be infectious (from the catarrhal stage, approximately one week before, to three weeks after onset of cough)
AND
b) the other has an illness which starts within 6 to 20 days after this contact
AND
2. At least one case in the chain of epidemiologically linked cases (which may involve many cases) is a confirmed case with at least laboratory suggestive evidence.
Probable case
A probable case requires clinical evidence only.Clinical evidence
1. A coughing illness lasting two or more weeksAND
2. Paroxysms of coughing OR inspiratory whoop OR post-tussive vomiting.
