Whooping cough epidemic warning in Europe: eight cases reported in Extremadura this year

Catalonia is experiencing its worst wave of whooping cough in a decade, with more than 11,000 cases detected this year and Aragon with around 300 infections, while Extremadura has recorded only eight cases of the disease this year..

So far the situation in the Extremadura community is calm. an infectious disease caused by bacteria that primarily affects the respiratory tract., is gradually growing in Spain, and the European Union is sounding the alarm about its spread. Over the past 16 months, 60,000 cases have been detected in the European Union, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, ten times more than in 2022 and 2021.

Without letting down its guard, Extremadura appears to be staying away from the country’s reported outbreaks for now. According to the Extremadura Health Service (SES). Until yesterday, there were eight cases reported in Extremadura, and 17 in 2023.. However, the ministry clarifies that as of June last year, the region had introduced an active surveillance system for notifiable diseases, so in previous months “only cases that were passively reported by doctors were recorded.” The SES also reports that eight cases registered between January and April correspond to mostly boys and girls aged 2 to 7 years.

The pediatric population is most vulnerable to this infectious disease, which can be especially dangerous for infants. In Spain, four people have died from the disease this year, including two premature babies. That’s why from the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) insist on the importance of vaccinationThey remember that it is safe and effective. “We, as parents or public health professionals, have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable population from the deadly effects of this disease,” says ECDC Director Andrea Ammon.