The following report provides the latest data and information in relation to whooping cough and other respiratory illnesses. The report includes suggested herbs to support and ameliorate symptoms but would request that you please consult a qualified naturopath and/or herbalist in order to ensure quality products. Please DO NOT order any herbs on line or buy over-the-counter – quality is key.
In addition to herbal remedies, other options include pure essential oils (inhalation only as essential oils should never ingested), homeopathics, and frequency therapies – all of which should be administered by qualified practitioners only. Of course, a varied fresh, whole, organic diet avoiding processed foods is recommended.
Interesting note: sugar depletes your immune system – with quantity determining duration of depletion. Processed foods including bread, cereals, cakes, crackers and the like all become ‘sugar’ when digested.
As with all infections, prevention remains the most effective method. Wash hands well with soap and water. Avoid touching face unless hands are clean.
If you have a cold, cough or are unwell – please stay home, recover and don’t spread your germs.
Whooping cough (pertussis) cases in Australia have surged in 2024 with all states and territories reporting more cases than in previous years. Between 1 January 2024 and 1 September 2024, there were 24,108 cases of whooping cough notified to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS), compared to 2,451 cases for 2023. This is the largest spike in nine years since 2015, when 22,571 cases were recorded. Notifications of whooping cough began increasing from April 2023 after a few years of limited circulation in Australia, particularly during the COVID 19 pandemic. In 2024 notification rates have been highest in Queensland, followed by New South Wales. Victoria has seen over 10 times the number of cases in 2024 than in 2023. South Australia has seen almost 550 cases in 2024, which is a six-year high. Rates are substantially higher in school-aged children aged 10-14 years, followed by children aged 5-9 years. The NNDSS says the current situation may be due to several factors including expected epidemic peaks, vaccination coverage, waning immunity and overall population having reduced exposure to whooping cough during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whooping cough is not the only respiratory condition seeing a major spike this year. There have been more than 350,000 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza this year so far, which exceeds the total number of infections detected for 2023. More than 164,000 respiratory syncytial virus cases have been recorded in 2024, which also exceeds the 2023 figure of 128,110. i
Whooping cough is a highly infectious disease of the respiratory tract, caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis, with periodic cyclical increases occurring every three to five years despite high levels of vaccination coverage. It spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes and others breathe it in. It starts with the catarrhal phase, the most infectious phase, which is typical cold and flu symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing, a mild cough and fever. So, early on, it is hard to tell it apart from any other nasty cold. The bacteria affect the lungs and airways and, after one-to-two weeks, coughing can become more frequent and severe, even causing vomiting or fracturing ribs, and it may have the characteristic ‘whoop’ sound. This can make it hard for the infected person to breathe. This is known as the paroxysmal phase. During the convalescent phase the cough can last for months (it is also known as the cough of 100 days). Infants under one year old are at the greatest risk for serious disease. Early diagnosis and treatment are important. ii iii
Appropriate antibiotic therapy is usually the recommended allopathic treatment for whooping cough. For professional herbalists and naturopaths the treatment approach is to support this with herbal medicines that physicians have historically (it is an old disease with the first recorded epidemic occurring in Paris in 1578) used to relieve whooping cough symptoms. They include immune enhancing herbs such as echinacea and andrographis and respiratory antiseptic herbs such as elecampane, thyme and garlic. During the coughing stage expectorant, respiratory spasmolytic and mucolytic herbs can loosen the tenacious sputum such as garlic, horseradish, elecampane, thyme, hyssop, liquorice, fennel, grindelia, aniseed, white horehound and red clover. Antitussive and demulcent herbs can dampen and soothe the cough reflex such as liquorice, ivy leaf and marshmallow. Inhalation therapy and topical applications of chest rubs are recommended along with the internal use of the botanical medicines above. A good convalescence is a marvellous thing so during recovery include nutritive and tonic herbs such as alfalfa, nettle leaf, oats green, bitter tonics, such as gentian and dandelion root, immune system building herbs such as astragulus, cordyceps, reishi and schizandra. Adaptogens and adrenal strengthening herbs such as liquorice, Siberian ginseng and withania help with general strength and fatigue along with respiratory disorder lung herbs such as mullein, garlic and thyme. iv v
References:
i National Communicable Diseases Surveillance Report Fortnight 18, 2024 Summary Notes for Selected Diseases 19 August 2024 to 01 September 2024. Commonwealth of Australia. Department of health and Aged Care. (updated 17 Sept 2024;accessed 6 Nov 2024). Available from https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/national-notifiable-diseases-surveillance-system-nndss-fortnightly-reports-19-august-to-1-september-2024?language=en
ii National Communicable Diseases Surveillance Report Fortnight 18, 2024 Summary Notes for Selected Diseases 19 August 2024 to 01 September 2024. Commonwealth of Australia. Department of health and Aged Care. (updated 17 Sept 2024;accessed 6 Nov 2024). Available from https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/national-notifiable-diseases-surveillance-system-nndss-fortnightly-reports-19-august-to-1-september-2024?language=en
iii Lauria AM, Zabbo CP. Pertussis. [Updated 2022 Oct 7]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519008/
iv Bone K, Mills S. Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy. 2nd ed. Edinburgh:Churchill Livingstone Elsevier. 2013 p. 249-9
v Abascal K, Yarnell E. Taking the Whoop Out of Whooping Cough. Alternative and Complementary Therapies. April 2006;12(2):71-76 DOI:10.1089/act.2006.12.71
Information courtesy of Herbal Extract Company