The UK has already recorded five children dying this year from whooping cough, at a time when cases of the disease continue to rise: according to the British publication The Independent, more than 2,700 cases will be reported in 2024 – more than three times the amount recorded last year.
According to new figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), 2,793 cases had been reported by the end of March – and in all of 2023 there were 858 cases.
The UKHSA also notes that between January and the end of March, there were five deaths among children, who are most at risk of developing serious complications from the disease.
Although the majority of recorded cases (50.8%, 1,420) occurred in people aged 15 years or older, who usually develop mild disease, pertussis rates remain highest in children younger than three months of age.
Whooping cough is a cyclical disease that peaks every three to five years, with the last cyclical surge occurring in 2016. However, as with other diseases, cases have fallen to very low numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic due to restrictions and public behavior so “ “The peak year is overdue.”
Whooping cough is a bacterial infection of the lungs.
The first signs of infection are flu-like, but after about a week, the infection can develop into coughing fits that last a few minutes and usually worsen at night.
Young children may also make a characteristic 'whooping' sound or have difficulty breathing after a coughing fit, although not all children make this noise, meaning it can be difficult to recognize whooping cough.
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