New cases of a highly contagious ‘100 day cough’ are on the rise in the UK and it's worth taking note of the symptoms.
With so many of us Brits having the sniffles at the moment, it's hardly surprising that cases of the contagious cough are on the up.
Although, what many of us refer to as the 'winter cold' is not the same thing as the whooping cough.
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Also known as the '100-day cough' - or pertussis in medical terms - it is a bacterial infection of the lungs and breathing tubes.
The first signs of a whooping cough are similar to that of a cold, e.g. a runny nose and a sore throat, though a high temperature isn’t so common.
The NHS has warned that it is very important for babies and children to get vaccinated against the infection as symptoms can get worse.
After a week, children can suffer with coughing fits which last for minutes and are much worse at night.
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Your child may make a 'whoop' sound - a gasp for breath between coughs (young babies and some adults may not 'whoop'), the health service said.
It's important to see a doctor if you or your child are:
- Struggling to breathe
- Turning blue or purple
- Coughing violently
- Coughing rapidly, over and over
- Not drinking enough fluids
And this comes after new data from the the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which reveals that almost 1,000 cases of the cough were recorded in the first four weeks of the year.
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This is 20 times more than the number of cases reported in January 2023.
Professor Beate Kampmann, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told The Sun: "The rise in cases might be because of missed vaccination appointments, possibly during the pandemic.
"Severe disease is almost entirely preventable if the mother is vaccinated in pregnancy and her protective antibody reach the baby through the placenta and protects until the baby gets its own vaccines.
"It is therefore important that everyone looks at their vaccination records to check if they might have missed this vaccine, which is given with the routine childhood immunisations and in pregnancy."
Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, added: "Whooping cough affects all ages, but for unvaccinated babies and very young children it can cause serious complications.
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"It’s vital that pregnant women get vaccinated to protect their babies from birth and parents ensure infants receive their vaccines at eight, 12 and 16 weeks of age or as soon as possible after that if their vaccines are delayed.
"While cases of whooping cough are now increasing following exceptionally low levels during the pandemic, they currently remain lower than the pre-pandemic years."
Thankfully, it's one of the most preventable diseases, once you get your vaccine, which means:
- The cough usually won’t last as many days
- Coughing fits, whooping, and vomiting after coughing fits are less common
- Apnea and cyanosis are less common (in vaccinated babies and children)