GPs are being urged to set a low threshold for pertussis testing as thousands of cases are reported across Australia.

A record-breaking wave of pertussis is unlikely to flatten without extra steps to reduce transmission, warns Associate Professor Paul Griffin, Director of Infectious Diseases at Mater Health Services in Brisbane.

“Anecdotally, I know people who had alerts sent from their children’s classrooms and kids that were known cases and almost certainly had symptoms, who were saying, ‘I’m not going to get [them] tested, I’m just going to keep sending them to school,’” he told AusDoc.

While cases dropped from 6756 in December to 3650 in January, Professor Griffin, from the University of Queensland, said it was important to act now and not be complacent.