What is '100-day cough', highly contagious infection on rise in UK? All you need to know

The '100-day cough' is a severe bacterial infection of the lungs and breathing tubes. (Representative Image)

Cases of a severe upper respiratory infection – a “100-day cough” – are on the rise in England and Wales. Also called the whooping cough, it is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the lungs and breathing tubes. Cases have seen a sharp increase by roughly 230 per cent compared to last year, Euro News quoted figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

According to the news outlet, there were 716 reported cases of whooping cough between July and November this year, which is three times higher than the same period in 2022. However, the numbers are lower than the pre-pandemic years.

Officially known as pertussis, it is most dangerous in infants, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). It also stated the disease is most contagious up to about three weeks after the cough begins.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms usually appear seven to 10 days after infections and include a mild fever, sore throat, runny nose and a cough that usually develops into a hacking cough and then a whooping one. The NHS mentioned that the cough can be persistent, sometimes lasting for weeks or even months.

Some adults may also experience rib pain from coughing so much or, in more extreme cases, a hernia. According to reports, the disease may cause middle ear infections and urinary incontinence as well.

The cough affects all ages and is usually mild but is more severe in babies and infants. Babies under the age of 6 months have a higher chance of suffering from pneumonia, breathing difficulties, and seizures.

As per the report in Euro News, pregnant women are encouraged to get vaccinated to protect their babies from birth while young babies are offered three doses each at eight, 12 and 16 weeks old.

A vaccine was developed to prevent whooping cough infections in the 1950s. The development led to a massive fall in the number of suspected cases.

“Before the 1960s, when I guess we got going with vaccination, there were epidemics every three years or so," Adam Finn, a professor of paediatrics at the University of Bristol told The Guardian.