Society

There was hardly any whooping cough because of the strict corona measures. But now that the pandemic has been behind us for a while, this deadly childhood disease is striking twice again.

Pertussis is characterized by these symptoms: incessant coughing, wheezing, vomiting after coughing or even turning blue. In milder cases, it may manifest “only” as a typical cold, with sneezing, a runny nose, fever and a slight cough.

But the number of infections with this bacterium is peaking again these days. And whooping cough is also causing deaths. In the Low Countries, among others, whooping cough is causing turmoil. In 2023, two people died of whooping cough: a five-week-old infant in Wallonia and an over-65-year-old in Flanders. However, the number of reported cases of whooping cough has risen dramatically over the past year. In the Netherlands alone, eight people have already died of whooping cough this year, the highest number in 65 years. In Flanders, there were already 2,217 reported cases of whooping cough in 2024. In just eight months, that is already more than twice the normal number in an entire year.

Not only the Low Countries are experiencing a sharp rise in whooping cough infections. Other European countries are also experiencing such a dramatic increase, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported earlier this year.

(SR for Tagtik/Source: ECDC - Sciensano - NOS - Nieuwsblad/Illustration picture: Photo by Tim Bish on Unsplash)