“We have never seen this in 40 years” indicates the Pasteur Institute.
The figures are worrying, however, apart from scientists, no one seems to be more concerned about a disease which is exploding in France, as Sylvain Brisse of the Pasteur Institute confirmed to our colleagues at Franceinfo. The positive cases (around 6,000 currently) are “eleven times more important between January and May 2024 than over the whole of 2023”. “We can talk about an explosion. We have never seen this for more than around 40 years. Neither this number of cases, nor such a rapid increase. It is a bacteria which is very contagious: we estimated, before “vaccine era, that when a patient is infected, he can contaminate 15 other people on average. This is ten times more than the Covid virus at the start of the epidemic.” This increase in cases in France is also observed in other European countries such as Denmark, England, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. It could be linked, according to the scientist, to the decline in population immunity resulting from the barrier measures of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The 100-day cough”
The disease is called “100-day illness” or “100-day cough.” In fact, it may not last that long, but it still takes several weeks of intense and exhausting coughing for the body. This cough worsens at night, in fits. Cough is THE characteristic symptom of this pathology which is (you may have guessed it) whooping cough. It is this which has exploded in France since the start of the year but which ultimately few people are informed about. Whooping cough is a condition caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis. Only the prescription of antibiotics can combat it and allow the patient to get better. Before knowing whether to take antibiotics, you must confirm the diagnosis of whooping cough. To do this, you must consult the attending physician so that he or she can prescribe a PCR test to be carried out in the laboratory. The screening test is not possible in pharmacies. Once the positive test is confirmed, the doctor prescribes antibiotics to generally be taken over 3 or 5 days. It is very important to take the treatment correctly. Left untreated, whooping cough can cause pneumonia, convulsions and respiratory distress which can lead, in the most serious cases, to death. A 3-week-old infant died in April 2024 in Nice.
Prevention is just as important. As whooping cough is contagious, we must protect the most vulnerable, namely newborns, the elderly, immunocompromised people and pregnant women. Also, you must avoid their contact or wear a mask in their presence. Transmission is airborne as soon as the patient coughs (contagiousness is maximum the first week). The only effective way to protect yourself from contracting whooping cough is vaccination. The vaccine (Tetravac®, Infanrix®, Repevax®) is compulsory for children at 2 and 4 months, then boosters must be given at 11 months, 6 years and between 11 and 13 years. In adulthood, boosters are indicated for mothers at each pregnancy (regardless of age) and at age 25 (if not done at age 25, it can be done at any time between 26 and 39 years old). Boosters may be recommended at ages 45 and 65 in a professional context (for health professions for example).