Outbreak of pertussis among healthcare workers in a hospital maternity unit

In December 2015, an outbreak of pertussis was detected among staff working in the Maternity Unit of a district general hospital in Hampshire. This occurred in the background of increased pertussis activity in the community. The outbreak occurred over the Christmas holiday period causing staff shortages at a time when the departments were already overstretched. The high prevalence of upper respiratory tract infections at the time were difficult to distinguish from pertussis. This paper describes the outbreak, infection control measures implemented and the learning points.