Another major outbreak was reported in China after the coronavirus outbreak. This time, deadly whooping cough, spreading in China, claiming 13 lives.

The whooping cough cases increased more than 20-fold higher in the first two months of 2024. Referring to the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration, Bloomberg reported that China registered a combined 32,380 cases of pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough, in January and February which is compared with 1,421 cases during the same period in 2023 and there were 13 deaths reported.

The number of whooping cough infections reported in China in the first 60 days of the year is near the full 2023, emphasizing the possibility of highly contagious respiratory disease in China. China experienced a major respiratory disease outbreak in 2023 after recovering from COVID in late 2022.

The outbreak is also reported in several parts of the world. The whooping cough deaths were recorded in China, the Philippines, Czech Republic, and the Netherlands, and the outbreaks were also reported in the US and the UK. The Philippines this week said that the infection cases numbers were 34 times greater than last year, with 54 deaths reported in the first three months of 2024.

According to the WHO (World Health Organisation), Pertussis is also known as whooping cough. It is a highly contagious respiratory infection which is caused by Bordetella pertussis bacterium. The infection spreads from person to person through droplets produced by coughing or sneezing. This disease is most dangerous for infants.

The symptoms of this disease normally appear 7-10 days after infection. The symptoms include a mild fever, runny nose, and cough which gradually develops into a hacking cough followed by whooping. The common complication of whooping cough is pneumonia. People infected with pertussis are most transmissible up to over three weeks after the cough begins and children who are infected have coughing spells that last for 4-8 weeks. Whooping cough is treated with antibiotics.

Immunization prevents pertussis infection. The three doses of primary series diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP3) vaccines reduce the threat of severe pertussis in infancy. The WHO recommends the first dose of pertussis vaccine be administered as early as six weeks of age and the subsequent doses are given 4-8 weeks apart at the age of 10-14 weeks and 14-18 weeks. The second dose of the vaccine is recommended, preferably during the second year of life. Immunization of pregnant women is effective in preventing the disease in infants.

In China, free vaccines are provided for whooping cough. Generally, the vaccine is provided in a combined shot that also protects infants against tetanus and diphtheria. In the US two vaccines are provided, one for children under the age of seven and another for people older than seven years. In the UK, the shots are routinely provided to infants, while the Philippines has notified of a probable shortage of vaccine supply by May.

References:

1.   https://www.who.int/health-topics/pertussis

 (Input from various sources)

 (Rehash/Lavanya Beeraboina/MSM)