“100-Day Cough”: UK Health Authorities Issue A Warning Regarding An Extremely Contagious Illness

A highly contagious illness known as the “100-day cough” is spreading quickly throughout the UK, and health authorities in the country have issued a warning. There is a 250% increase in occurrences of the bacterial illness, which starts off as a cold but can escalate to severe coughing fits that continue for three months or longer. A bacterial lung infection known as pertussis, which is three times more common between July and November than it was in 2022, was detected in 716 cases, according to the UK Health Security Agency. Due to lockdown measures and social separation, the number of illnesses declined during the COVID-19 pandemic but is currently rising once more, according to a report that was provided to The Independent by Dr. Gayatri Amirthalingam, Deputy Director of Public Health Programs at the organization.

How Does Whooping Cough Occur?

Bordetella pertussis bacteria causes whooping cough (pertussis), an infection of the lung and airways that used to be a major cause of death for babies. Its influence was somewhat lessened by a vaccination from the 1950s. Adam Finn, a pediatrics professor at the University of Bristol, told The Guardian that there were outbreaks around every three years prior to the 1960s, when vaccination campaigns began. Whooping cough is not limited to infants; it can also strike adults and older children. Urinary incontinence, middle ear infections, aching ribs, and hernias are among the conditions that might result from the 100-day cough. Breathing problems may arise with whooping cough, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Moreover, vomiting and painful or even shattered ribs may result from an intense cough. According to the NHS, there is a vaccine that can protect infants and children against whooping cough, and the illness is preventable.