Ministry issues health alert as whooping cough spreads in Bangkok

A government spokesman on Thursday allayed parents’ fear of their children catching whooping cough in school, saying the authorities were closely monitoring the disease to contain it.

Karom Polpornklang, a deputy government spokesman, told the media that relevant state agencies began monitoring infections after learning that the disease was detected among young children at a demonstration school in Bangkok.

The Srinakarinwirot University Demonstration School Pathumwan announced on Tuesday that it was cancelling classes from Wednesday to November 27 after two students were found infected between October 29 and November 12.

After learning about the outbreak in the school, the government instructed all agencies concerned to closely monitor the spread among vulnerable groups, especially children younger than a year old.

Karom said the authorities were also concerned about elderly people getting whooping cough, especially those with respiratory diseases and those with failing immunity, as it could worsen their condition.

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a highly contagious bacterial infection that primarily attacks the respiratory system. It's characterised by a severe, hacking cough that often ends with a high-pitched “whooping” sound as the person gasps for air.

According to the spokesman, 1,290 people were diagnosed with the disease from January 1 to November 13 this year or 44.74 patients per 100,000 people. Of them, two patients have died.

Karom said 1,066 of the 1,290 patients were in the South or the 12th public health zone. In the South, Yala had the highest number of patients at 575, followed by Pattani (199), and Narathiwat (198).

Children younger than four years old were the biggest group of patients, with 795 catching the disease.

Karom said the Education Ministry has sent circulars to all schools to keep a close eye on the possible spread of the disease.