- Over-average number of whooping cough cases in Lower Saxony
In Lower Saxony, an unusually high number of people are suffering from whooping cough this year. By the end of July, the Robert Koch Institute had recorded 555 cases across the state, according to Barmer health insurance. In the previous year, there were only 73 cases by the 30th calendar week. However, the number of reported cases is currently decreasing, a spokesperson for the Lower Saxony State Health Authority said - from around 60 cases per week to 20 cases per week.
Barmer sees a catch-up effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and insufficient vaccination among adults as reasons for the high number of cases. "Whooping cough is often underestimated by adults," explained Heike Sander, Barmer's regional director. "They consider it a childhood disease, but most whooping cough cases are now occurring among adults, according to the Robert Koch Institute," Sander warned. "This is also because older adults are often not vaccinated against whooping cough." They should check their vaccination status.
The course of the disease differs between children and adults. According to the information, whooping cough is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. The disease can be definitively diagnosed through a nasal-pharyngeal swab and a blood test. "Whooping cough does not progress in the same way in adults and children," said Sander. "Adults have a prolonged cough, but it is less severe. The typical whooping, vomiting, and fever also occur less frequently in adults than in infected children, which can lead to underdiagnosis and a high dark figure."
In general, there are three stages of the disease: According to Barmer, whooping cough resembles a severe cold with a slight fever in the first one to two weeks - during this time, infected people are particularly contagious. Then, the so-called paroxysmal phase begins with spasmodic coughing and wheezing sounds when inhaling. Children often vomit. In the third phase, the symptoms subside, which can take up to ten weeks. Unvaccinated individuals can infect older people and babies, in whom severe complications can occur and the disease can be life-threatening.
The number of whooping cough cases is also increasing in other federal states: In Hamburg, 194 cases were registered by the end of July - compared to 48 cases in the same period last year. In Hesse, 440 cases have been reported so far this year, compared to 150 cases in the entire previous year.
Barmer warned that one can become ill with whooping cough multiple times, and there is no lifelong immunity after recovery. The best protection is vaccination. Adults should receive a single vaccination, with a booster every ten years.
Barmer, being a health insurance provider in Germany, has identified insufficient vaccination among adults as a contributing factor to the high number of whooping cough cases in various federal states, including Lower Saxony and Hamburg. Heike Sander, Barmer's regional director, emphasized that adults often underestimate whooping cough and consider it a childhood disease, leading to lower vaccination rates among older adults.
