Map shows where 100-day cough is spreading in Devon

100-day cough cases have been identified in Devon

A dozen cases of the 100-day cough have been diagnosed in Devon – as GPs see more suspected infections in the first five weeks of 2024 than at any time in the past decade.

In the last week, the UK Health Security Agency has received notifications of 412 suspected cases of whooping cough, a 20% increase from the previous week and the fifth consecutive week that infections have increased.

In total, there have been 1,416 suspected cases of whooping cough seen by GPs so far this year. That is by far the highest total for the first five weeks of a year in more than a decade – and more than seven times higher than the 189 cases seen 10 years ago in the first five weeks of 2014.

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The figures include 12 suspected infections in Devon, two in the last week. GPs in Teignbridge have identified four cases, while two each have been seen in East Devon and Torbay.

You can see the suspected cases where you live with our interactive map.

So far, the South West has remained relatively free of whooping cough, with just 37 suspected cases this year, compared to 235 in the South East.

These figures show the number of statutory notices that GPs must send to the UKHSA when they diagnose a suspected case of whooping cough.

Infections have yet to be confirmed by a lab test, but they provide an early warning to identify possible outbreaks of infectious diseases.