A five-week-old local baby has died from whooping cough, officials have announced. Dr Shade Agboola, Warwickshire’s director of public health, confirmed the death of the baby from Rugby at a meeting of the county’s health and wellbeing board.
The tragedy was discussed as the meeting addressed worries over a surge in cases across the UK. That rise is being seen in a number of cases in our area.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data shows there have been three cases in Rugby in the past week, seven in the past fortnight, and 35 cases for the year up to May 4. In addition, there have been 31 cases in the district of Warwick, 24 in the district of Stratford-on-Avon, six in Nuneaton and Bedworth, and three in North Warwickshire in the same period of 2024.
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Dr Agboola said: “We have been busy in the health protection space in the past couple of weeks. The information out there in the media around pertussis, whooping cough, and the increase in the number of cases has unfortunately impacted us.
“We had a death from pertussis a couple of weeks ago in a five-week-old baby in Rugby. We are working closely with the UK Health Security Agency to come up with a range of actions to support that particular community where the death has happened.”
There have been five infant deaths this year in the UK. The highest rate of infection has been seen in the most vulnerable group of babies, those younger than three months old.
Whooping cough – known clinically as pertussis – is a bacterial infection that affects the lungs. The first signs of infection are similar to a cold.
After around seven days, infection can develop into bouts of coughing that last for a few minutes and often worsen at night. Young babies may have difficulty breathing after a bout of coughing that does not always come with the distinctive whooping noise associated with the condition, making it hard to tell it apart from other conditions.
The UKHSA issued a release earlier this month that confirmed 1,319 cases had been reported in March 2024, after 918 in February and 556 in January. The BBC reports there had only been “around 200” in the whole of 2023.
The Government’s advice states: “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.”
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Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
