BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European health officials are noticing a rise in the cases of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, across the continent in the first quarter of 2024, surging ten times more than the cases in the last two years.
During the initial months, nearly 60,000 cases were reported by European Union and European Economic Area countries plus Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, with 11 deaths among children, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control or ECDC.
Meanwhile, experts warned that whooping cough cases might hit a 40-year high mark in the UK in 2024.
The ECDC noted that whooping cough, also known as 100-day cough, could be fatal for babies under the age of six months, unimmunized or partially immunized, and old people, as 'the majority of hospitalizations and deaths related' to the disease occur 'in this vulnerable age group'.
'The increase in the number of whooping cough cases across Europe shows the need to be vigilant. It is a serious disease, especially in babies', said the European Commissioner for Health in a statement.
Further, the commissioner stated that whooping cough continues to be a public health problem, as the disease is 'endemic in the EU/EEA and around the world and causes significant epidemics every three to five years, even in countries with high vaccination coverage'.
The European agency pointed out that the rise in cases is mainly due to a drop in vaccinations during the pandemic. However, it is urging people to take vaccination against whooping cough and also maintain proper sanitation and hygiene, including covering their mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing and washing hands afterward.
'Vaccines against pertussis have proven to be safe and effective,' said ECDC Director Andrea Ammon.
Whooping cough is transmitted when the respiratory droplets from an infected person's cough or sneeze are caught by a healthy person. Then, the bacteria attach themselves to the throat lining and produce toxins, causing inflammation in airways, coughing fits, and breathing problems.
The usual symptoms of whooping cough are runny nose, fever, vomiting, and exhaustion after uncontrollable and sudden coughing spells. Several adults experience complications like broken ribs from coughing, loss of bladder control, and fainting.
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