In the United Kingdom, cases of highly infectious diseases have more than tripled, and experts have urged pregnant women and children to be vaccinated.
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Cases of whooping cough – sometimes known as “100-day cough” – are on the rise in England and Wales, up by around 230 per cent compared to last year. According to the numbers From the UK Health Protection Agency (UKHSA).
Between July and the end of November 2023, 716 cases of whooping cough were reported, three times more than the same period in 2022.
However, these numbers are lower than in years prior to the pandemic.
Officially known as whooping cough, whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the lungs and respiratory tract.
The World Health Organization has stated that the disease is very dangerous in infants. He also warned that people with pertussis are highly contagious after three weeks of coughing.
What are the symptoms of dry cough?
The first symptoms usually appear seven to 10 days after contracting the disease and include a mild fever, runny nose, sore throat and cough, which gradually turns into a hacking cough and then whooping cough (hence the name). This can be particularly persistent, sometimes lasting for weeks or even months, according to the NHS.
Some adults may experience rib pain from coughing too much or, in more severe cases, a hernia.
Whooping cough occurs at all ages and is usually mild, but can be more severe in infants and young children. Especially children under 6 months of age are more likely to suffer from pneumonia, respiratory problems and seizures.
For this reason, pregnant mothers are advised to vaccinate their babies from birth, while young babies are given three doses of pertussis vaccine at eight, twelve and 16 weeks.
Why are cases increasing?
In the year In the 1950s there were over 100,000 suspected cases of whooping cough in England and Wales each year. Oxford Vaccine GroupAs reported by the Vaccine Research Group at Oxford University’s Department of Paediatrics.
The expansion of vaccination for children led to a dramatic fall in these numbers and helped prevent thousands of deaths.
The Covid-19 pandemic is the main reason for the current rise in pertussis cases, the UKHSA said, linking lockdown measures to reduced immunity and reduced vaccination rates due to disruptions in medical services.
“Whooping cough affected tens of thousands of people before the introduction of the common vaccine. Thanks to the vaccine, this has been reduced significantly, but the infection has not completely disappeared as neither the infection nor the vaccine can provide lifelong protection,” Dr. Gayatri, a consultant epidemiologist at the UK’s Health Safety Agency, Amirthalingam, said in a statement. .
“As expected, we are now seeing a resurgence of whooping cough cases, so it is very important for pregnant women to ensure they are vaccinated to protect their babies.”