UK reports an alarming increase in whopping cough cases, issues warning about '100-day cough'

Health officials in the UK have warned about a concerning rise in whooping cough known as "100-day cough" after cases soared 250 per cent this year.

The UK Health Security Agency said that between July and November, there were 716 reported cases of pertussis( whopping cough), a bacterial infection of the lungs, which is three times higher than the same period in 2022.

According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, whooping cough can make breathing difficult and might cause vomiting and painful or cracked ribs.

However, the agency further said that the disease is preventable and vaccines are available to protect children and newborns.

Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, Deputy Director of Public Health Programmes at the agency, said the number of infections had decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic due to social distancing and lockdown policies, but is now on the rise again, according to the report.

Another expert, 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."

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