Two babies died of whooping cough in Kyustendil

Two babies from Kyustendil (Southwestern Bulgaria) have died of pertussis, Chief State Health Inspector, Assoc. Prof. Angel Kunchev, said on April 19.

The children were under 2 months old and had not yet been immunised.

The first death occurred at the beginning of the month and the second on 14 April.

Both babies were initially admitted to the hospital in Kyustendil, after which they were transferred to the capital for treatment.

The two babies who died after contracting pertussis were from the same neighborhood in Kyustendil, but the families did not know each other and had no contact with each other, Chief State Health Inspector Angel Kunchev said. Currently, all the children's contacts have been identified and isolated.

According to Kunchev, the infection was detected at a late stage in the infants and this increased the likelihood of a lethal outcome.

"They were treated properly, but medical help was sought a little late. In one of the cases, there were two refusals for hospitalisation, which was offered by the Emergency Medical Unit and only when the baby got worse it was then was hospitalised in Kyustendil and then in the National Cardiology Hospital," Kunchev said.

Health authorities report an increase in the incidence of pertussis in the country and worldwide. Currently, 205 cases have been registered in Bulgaria.

The virus circulates most intensively in Sofia and the western part of the country. According to Kunchev, it is likely to spread to other areas as well, but it is difficult to predict how far it will spread.

The largest number of whooping cough cases is among children aged between 10 and 14. Less than 10% of them have reached hospital.

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"Around 50%-60% is the share of immunised people who got whooping cough. They usually have more mild symptoms, but are also more difficult to diagnose. Prompt diagnosisis and starting the treatment may make the infection less severe. What is happening cannot be called a surprise. Since 2023, there ahs been a rise in pertussis cases in Europe, which accelerated even more this year. In the Czech Republic, more than 6,000 cases have been reported, which is the highest level of incidence there since the 1960s, in Spain - more than 8,000, the Netherlands - 3,600," said Assoc. Prof. Kunchev.

Caretaker Health Minister, Dr Galya Kondeva, said measures had been taken and an analysis of the proportion of unimmunised children was currently being carried out.