Daejeon Pertussis Outbreak Alert... 18 Cases Reported This Year

10 Infections in April Alone, Worsening Outbreak Compared to Last Year
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Whooping cough cases have surged in the Daejeon area this year, prompting emergency measures from health authorities.

According to Daejeon City on the 2nd, the nationwide number of whooping cough patients this year reached 365 as of the 24th of last month, a 33.2-fold increase compared to the same period last year.

In Daejeon, the number of cases gradually increased from 2 in January, 2 in February, and 4 in March, to 10 (55.6%) in April.

By age group, 5 cases (27.8%) were under 6 years old, 11 cases (61.1%) were between 7 and 12 years old, 1 case (5.6%) was between 13 and 18 years old, and 1 case (5.6%) was 19 years or older, with most reports coming from school-age children.

Daejeon City has urged citizens to be cautious of respiratory infectious diseases and to comply with vaccination and preventive measures as the number of pertussis patients increases. / Daejeon City

The main symptom of whooping cough is paroxysmal coughing, and its infectivity is highest during the first 1 to 2 weeks of symptom onset. Whooping cough is a preventable infectious disease through the national childhood vaccination program (6 doses).

The city has been implementing preventive and response measures targeting universities and elementary, middle, and high schools since early this year to prepare for the spread of respiratory infectious diseases in educational facilities during May and June.

Son Cheol-woong, Director of the Citizen Sports and Health Bureau of Daejeon City, stated, “Whooping cough is highly contagious, so special attention such as vaccination is especially necessary for students living in group settings like schools, daycare centers, and kindergartens.” He added, “Since May has many holidays, please strictly follow basic preventive measures during gatherings or travel, and visit medical institutions immediately if symptoms appear.”