From six cases of whooping cough in 2023 to 197 in 2024: rising incidence in Madrid | Madrid | Spain

Whooping cough has also appeared in Madrid, and the year begins with “a very noticeable increase in the number of cases,” as the Ministry of Health acknowledged. There were 71 new cases reported in the community over the past week, in contrast to the only case that occurred in the same week in 2023, according to the latest weekly health epidemiology report. There have been 197 cases reported so far in 2024; Bye…

Whooping cough has also appeared in Madrid, and the year begins with “a very noticeable increase in the number of cases,” as the Ministry of Health acknowledged. There were 71 new cases reported in the community over the past week, in contrast to the only case that occurred in the same week in 2023, according to the latest weekly health epidemiology report. There have been 197 cases reported so far in 2024; while during the same period in 2023 there were only six. At the moment there is no alarm about an outbreak or anything like that, as confirmed by the Ministry of Health, which is also conveying a message of calm. “Strengthened epidemiological surveillance is carried out, early diagnosis is carried out to identify the etiology or cause, as well as special verification to ensure optimal vaccination coverage,” explains a ministry representative.

The north of Barcelona and the province of Guadalajara (Castilla-La Mancha) are already experiencing outbreaks that have forced authorities to activate protocols to contain the spread of the disease, characterized by severe coughing attacks that in some cases can cause vomiting or difficulty breathing. In particular, in Madrid, cases were detected in schools in the capital and Alcalá de Henares, as well as other municipalities. The epidemic index in the Madrid region, the ratio between the most recent data and the median of the last five years, is 32.8. High incidence starts at 1.25.

64% of patients reported with whooping cough in Madrid are between 5 and 14 years of age and only 10% are infants under one year of age. This latest information is good news in the eyes of Javier Alvarez, pediatrician and member of the Vaccine Advisory Committee of the Spanish Pediatric Association. “Most of the sick, fortunately, are not small children. Spain is one of the countries with the highest maternal vaccination coverage against whooping cough – between 80% and 90% – and this means that the disease has almost disappeared in the youngest children,” emphasizes Alvarez. However, the pediatrician adds that the most common cases are observed in older children and even adults, in whom whooping cough is often confused with the flu or other respiratory diseases.

Despite the rise in cases in Madrid, Alvarez warns that the numbers at the moment “should occupy, but not worry” the region. In fact, remember, this is a widespread situation in recent months in Spain and other European countries. At the end of January, there were 757 cases of whooping cough reported nationwide, up from 31 in January 2023, according to the latest bulletin from the National Center for Epidemiology.

These surges occur every three to five years for several reasons. First, according to Teresa del Rosal, a specialist in pediatric infectious diseases at the University Hospital of La Paz and a member of the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases (SEIP), even though there is a vaccine, immunity does not last long. Whooping cough vaccine is given to pregnant women and, along with other vaccines, to children aged 2, 4 and 11 months, and a booster dose at six years of age. The Spanish Association of Pediatrics also recommends that it be reintroduced at age 14 along with the tetanus and diphtheria vaccine. Today this type of reinforcement is found only in the Principality of Asturias.

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Added to the limited duration of the vaccine is the interruption of “natural immunization” during a pandemic. Dr. Alvarez explains that distancing measures during Covid-19 have resulted in fewer viruses and bacteria circulating in the population; When we return to normal life, everything resumes, just like it happened with the flu. “Wider access to sensitive diagnostic tests (such as PCR), greater diagnostic suspicion and antigenic variation in causative bacteria may also play a role. Bordetella whooping coughDel Rosal adds.

Although there is no warning in Madrid at the moment, pediatric societies recommend not to let down your guard regarding vaccination. Whooping cough is not potentially harmful to children if they are vaccinated. “Severe illnesses and complications mainly affect young children who have not received any doses of the vaccine. In older children and adolescents, a prolonged cough may be the only symptom, and complications are exceptional,” SEIP points out. The patient may be complicated by otitis media, pneumonia, respiratory failure, rib fractures due to coughing, and weight loss.

Experts also recommend intensifying protocols in schools and promptly isolating sick minors and family members with whom they had direct contact. “To try to reduce transmission, children with whooping cough should not return to school until they have completed a five-day course of antibiotic treatment with azithromycin,” recommends Del Rosal.

Paula Gonzalez, a nurse at a Madrid school, explains that as soon as a case is confirmed in an institution, the Ministry of Health and the parents of children who attended the same class as the sick minor are notified. “Children who have symptoms such as cough, mucus, fever or vomiting should contact their pediatrician for antibiotic treatment,” explains Gonzalez and reminds them that they and their family must also isolate for five days. “Whooping cough is highly contagious,” he warns. Students who do not have symptoms can safely continue in school unless they have asthma or immunosuppressive conditions. Pregnant women should also be especially careful.

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