Figures reveal three-fold increase in whooping cough cases
Babies are most susceptible to whooping cough
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Tuesday, 11, Mar 2008 03:03
Cases of whooping cough in England have almost trebled since 2003, figures from the Department of Health have revealed.
The figures show that there were 386 cases of whooping cough five years ago compared to 1,071 in 2007.
Whooping cough can cause long bouts of coughing and choking and can be fatal to babies, with about one in every 500 affected by the illness dying.
Babies are immunised against the disease at two, three and four months and before they start school.
There was a 52 per cent rise in cholera in England and Wales since 2003, with 25 cases in 2003 and 38 in 2007.
In England the past five years have also seen an increase in tuberculosis (TB) from 6,741 cases in 2003 to 7,862 in 2006.
The figures were obtained in response to a parliamentary question from the Liberal Democrats health spokesman Norman Lamb.
"People will be shocked to hear that diseases which belonged to a bygone era are making a comeback," he said.
"Prevention is often a case of a simple vaccine."