The whooping cough epidemic, which has been spreading in France since the start of 2024, seems to be reaching the end of its cycle. Indicators have been falling since September in New Aquitaine, but be careful: vigilance must be maintained to avoid a recovery next spring.
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Soon the end of the whooping cough epidemic in France? This is what the indicators, which have been declining since September, seem to confirm. Health professionals are still calling for continued vigilance.
Traffic rates remain higher than those observed in previous years. A relaxation of barrier gestures could lead to an epidemic resumption in spring 2025, the season when this respiratory disease is most common.
The disease reappears in epidemic cycles every three to five years. The last whooping cough cycle dates back to the period 2017-2018. A rebound was expected in 2021-2022, but the health measures imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic helped reduce transmission. The current cycle, which started in the first quarter of 2024, has been particularly virulent in the country. According to the Pasteur Institute, this would be “most important for at least 25 years”.
In New Aquitaine, more than 1,500 procedures for suspected whooping cough were recorded by SOS Médecins and emergencies, between January 1 and November 30, 2024, with an upsurge in May and a peak reached in August. There were only 22 acts in 2023, according to Santé Publique France.
Very contagious, the bacterial infection of whooping cough is transmitted through the air and in particular through contact with a sick person with a cough. An affected person would infect on average 15 to 17 others. Contagiousness is also highest during the first week of coughing.
Transmission occurs mainly within families or in communities.
“Infants under six months are the most affected by serious forms, hospitalizations, but also deaths”indicates Public Health France. The government agency reports seven deaths, including three among young children, since the start of 2024 in New Aquitaine, compared to 42 deaths for the entire country.
Typically, the infection begins with a mild rhinitis or cough that becomes more severe as the days go by. More fragile, infants can suffer from apnea, have a slow heart rate or even an abnormal bluish coloring of the skin. Wearing a mask is recommended from the first symptoms.
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