The Ministry of Health confirms an outbreak of whooping cough in Guadalajara, affecting 124 people, most of them schoolchildren.

In all cases, a contact study was conducted (family, school and extracurricular), chemoprophylaxis was recommended and, if necessary, completion of vaccination. An information note has been sent to educational centers and centers where extra-curricular activities are held, as well as to parents. Besides, Two cases were recorded in two schools in the Community of Madrid.RTVE reports this.

What is whooping cough?

Whooping cough is an infectious disease caused by the highly contagious respiratory bacterium Bordetella pertussis. poses a serious threat to the lives of infants if they are not vaccinated

. The infection can be serious in unvaccinated infants, immunocompromised children, or pregnant women.

Symptoms develop in Two phases. The first, which usually lasts one or two weeks, is easily confused with a cold or other respiratory infections because it causes nasal congestion, low fever and an occasional mild cough. Starting in the second week, the most severe symptoms may appear, especially rapid, severe and uncontrollable coughing attacks.

Health authorities insist on the importance of vaccination as a key strategy to protect against this type of disease, as well as following the instructions provided by public health authorities for those affected and their contacts. Experts have confirmed an increase in whooping cough cases since the COVID-19 pandemic, both in Spain and abroad.