Five week old baby from Rugby has died from Whooping Cough
It was confirmed in a county's health and wellbeing board meeting.
A five-week-old baby from Rugby has died from whooping cough.
Warwickshire’s director of public health, Dr Shade Agboola, confirmed the fatality at a recent meeting of the county’s health and wellbeing board while addressing concern over the surge in cases nationally.
The UK Health Security Agency confirmed 1,319 cases had been flagged in March 2024, following on from 918 in February and 556 in January.
A rise from figures in 2023.
There have been five infant deaths this year with the highest rate of infection seen in the group that is most vulnerable – babies younger than three months old.
Data published via UKHSA’s interactive map shows three cases in Rugby in the past week, seven in the past fortnight and 35 cases for the year up to May 4.
There have been 31 cases in the district of Warwick, 24 in the district of Stratford-on-Avon, six in Nuneaton & Bedworth and three in North Warwickshire in the same period of 2024.
Whooping cough, clinically known as pertussis, is a bacterial infection which affects the lungs. The first signs of infection are similar to a cold.
Government advice reads: “If anyone in your family is diagnosed with whooping cough, it’s important they stay at home and do not go into work, school or nursery until 48 hours after starting antibiotics, or 3 weeks after symptoms start if they have not had antibiotics.
“This helps to prevent the spread of infection, especially to vulnerable groups, including infants. However, vaccination remains the best protection for babies and children.”