2024-02-01 14:23:30
Updated Thursday, February 1, 2024 – 15:23
The General Directorate of Public Health of Castilla-La Mancha has confirmed that there is an outbreak of whooping cough in Guadalajara with 124 affected, mainly in the school environment, mostly children.
In a press release, the Ministry of Health reported this Thursday that among those affected there are six adults and also two cases detected in schools in the Community of Madrid.
Likewise, it has indicated that in all cases, it has been carried out contact study (family, school and extracurricular), and it has been recommended to apply chemoprophylaxis and complete vaccination if appropriate, while an information note has been sent to educational centers and centers where extracurricular activities are carried out, as well as to parents.
Infectious and very contagious
Health has indicated that whooping cough is an infectious disease caused by bacteria ‘bordetella pertussis‘, which is very contagious through the respiratory route and poses a serious risk to the lives of infants if they are not vaccinated.
The infection can be serious in cases of unvaccinated infants, immunosuppressed people and pregnant women.
Its symptoms develop in two phases, of which the first usually lasts one or two weeks and can easily confused with a cold or other respiratory infections, as it causes nasal congestion, low-grade fever, and occasional mild cough.
From the second week onwards is when the most serious symptoms may appear, especially rapid, violent and uncontrollable coughing attacks.
The Ministry of Health has emphasized that the health authorities insist on the importance of vaccination as a key strategy to protect against this type of diseases, as well as to comply with the instructions provided by Public Health for confirmed cases and contacts.
He also pointed out that experts have confirmed an increase in cases of whooping cough after the Covid-19 pandemicboth in Spain and internationally.
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