The number of whooping cough cases rises to 229. 64 infected people were hospitalized

In 14% of diagnoses it was possible to find a link to a probable case

As of May 5, 229 cases of whooping cough had been diagnosed in Portugal. According to the document that was shared this week with health professionals at the meeting of the Public Health Emergency Center (CESP)/DGS, and to which CNN Portugal had access, of the total diagnoses made to date, 64 required hospitalization ( 28%), of which 83% concern pediatric patients.

The location of these cases is dispersed – 36% were diagnosed in the Center area, 35% in the North and 19% in Lisbon and Tagus Valley – and only in 14% of diagnoses was it possible to find a link to a probable case, with the remaining cases sporadic.

The document also reveals that 22% of diagnosed cases are in minors without evidence of vaccination or with an incomplete vaccination schedule. There are also eight cases of babies under two months old.

The month of April had the most confirmed cases of whooping cough, 76, followed by March with 74, February with 52 and January with 26. In the first five days of May, only one case was confirmed.

Whooping cough, also called pertussis, is a respiratory infection caused by a bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. Europe has seen a considerable increase in the number of cases of infection, a trend that experts say is to be expected due to the cyclical nature of this respiratory disease, which causes spikes in infection and contagion every three to five years.