Five key symptoms of potentially lethal ‘100-day cough’ as disease grips UK

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A highly contagious "100-day cough" ripping through Britain has five key symptoms to watch out for.

Earlier this week, the Daily Star revealed experts were panicking about whooping cough, which has seen a 250% increase in cases in recent weeks. The number of people suffering from the bacterial infection, also known as pertussis, is now triple that of last year.

Over the past five months, 716 cases have been reported to health authorities. The disease often starts with cold-like symptoms but can lead to severe coughing fits lingering for up to three months. In some cases it can lead to serious health problems.

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The illness affects the lungs and throat and is highly transmissible. Vaccination against it is crucial for babies and children, who are most likely to be impacted.

According to the NHS, there are five key symptoms. These are:

Coughing bouts that last for a few minutes and are worse at night
A "whoop" sound – a gasp for breath between coughs (young babies and some adults may not "whoop")
Difficulty breathing after a coughing bout and sufferers, particularly young infants, may turn blue or grey
A thick mucus, which can make you vomit
Going very red in the face (more common in adults)

Professor Helen Bedford, an expert in child public health at University College London, said: "As expected, we are now seeing cases of whooping cough increase again, so it's vital pregnant women ensure they get vaccinated to protect their baby. Whooping cough in young babies can be very serious and vaccinating their mothers in pregnancy is the only way of ensuring they are protected in the first few months.”

Highly contagious and potentially lethal '100-day cough' sweeping across Britain

Once infected with whooping cough, it takes around seven to ten days for signs and symptoms to appear, though it can sometimes take longer. They're usually mild at first and are very similar to the common cold and can include nasal congestion and a cough.

The NHS advises anyone who gets it to "stay off school, work or nursery until 48 hours after starting antibiotics, or three weeks after your symptoms started if you've not had antibiotics."

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