Dutch whooping cough cases top 7,000 to set new 10-year record

Roughly 1,800 more whooping cough infections were reported in the Netherlands during the last two weeks of April, bringing the total number of infections for the year to 7,187. The annual total is already the highest in 10 years, even though eight months remains in the year. The statistics noted that a fifth person died from whooping cough, the most since 1963.

The figures are compiled from reports filed with Dutch public health institute RIVM. The 1,800 cases reported during the period between April 15 - 28 were not necessarily diagnosed at the time, and were infections that more likely occurred earlier this year. Roughly 3,600 reports were filed with the RIVM between April 1 - 28.

“These numbers are very high compared to every year since the introduction of the data reporting obligation in 1975,” the RIVM said. A total of 9,206 infections were reported over the entirety of 2014, a figure that could easily be topped by the end of May at the current rate. The record number of infections during the past five decades was set in 2012, when 13,828 whooping cough cases were reported.

Over the course of April, reports of 50 babies diagnosed with the infection were filed with the RIVM. The country has already diagnosed 418 infections in children who have not yet reached their first birthday, the most in at least 25 years.

“More than half of the babies aged 0-5 months with whooping cough were admitted to hospital. For babies aged 6-11 months this was just over a quarter,” the RIVM said.

The new death regards an individual who was over 70 years of age. Four babies have died this year from the disease, and an adult over 80 years old died late last year.

“Before the introduction of the whooping cough vaccination in 1957, approximately 200 children died from the disease every year. After the introduction of the whooping cough vaccination, the number of children with whooping cough fell sharply. Since 1964, about 0-2 people die each year from whooping cough,” the RIVM said.

The current wave of infections started to build slowly last June, and then began to soar by October when over 400 people were diagnosed with whooping cough. That rose above 1,050 in December, and neared 1,890 in January. By February, well over 2,500 people were diagnosed, and provisional figures show a similar total in March.

The data related to the date of infection is still being compiled, the RIVM said.