Death of two infants in Montpellier: the worrying resurgence of whooping cough in France

Plusieurs clusters ont été recensés en France. Illustration archive MAXPPP – Lionel Le Saux

"Les dernières données confirment la résurgence de la maladie en France avec déjà plus de cas rapportés sur les cinq premiers mois de l’année que pour 2023", précise Santé publique France.

Two infants under three months died after being affected by a malignant form of whooping cough in Montpellier, announced Professor Éric Jeziorski, head of the pediatric post-emergency emergency department at the University Hospital. from Montpellier, Monday in the columns of Midi Libre.

This tragedy is a tragic reminder of the danger represented by the resurgence of this disease in the country. The death of a baby had already been reported in April in Nice.

In the first quarter of 2024, around fifteen clusters were also identified in France, often in communities (nursery schools, primary schools, daycare centers and nursery homes), but also in the family circle, representing 70 cases alone.< /p>

Cases increase in 2024

"The latest data confirms the resurgence of the disease in France with already more cases reported in the first five months of the year than for 2023, comments Public Health France on its site. This sharp increase in the number of cases and reports of grouped cases in recent weeks confirms the intensification of community circulation of the bacteria."

This could intensify in the coming months. The Montpellier University Hospital calls on pregnant women to be vaccinated. Public Health France therefore recalls the importance of vaccination coverage for young mothers.

A resurgence in Europe

But this was only 53.5% in Occitanie (compared to 66.8% in France), in a Public Health France bulletin published on 22nd ;nbsp;last April, a figure which even dropped to 15% in certain cases for women, particularly those with lower incomes.

Beyond our borders, this upsurge in cases of whooping cough has also caused significant epidemics in Croatia, Denmark and the United Kingdom and significant increases in cases in Belgium, in Spain and Germany.