A deadly and highly infectious Victorian disease is returning in ever increasing numbers.
Reported cases of whooping cough have more than quadrupled in Sussex in the past year, according to figures released yesterday (January 4).
Parents have been warned to ensure their children are immunised against the disease with very young children most at risk.
Figures from the Health Protection Agency show there were 31 cases of whooping cough recorded in Sussex in 2011 compared to just seven in 2010.
Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust confirmed it had recorded two cases of whooping cough since September.
In the first case, a young child made a full recovery but in a second case in December a baby later died in a London hospital.
The trust said it was unable to confirm whether the child’s death was as a result of whooping cough or other conditions the child was suffering from.
A third case was feared last month after a healthcare worker on sick leave informed the hospital of a suspected whooping cough infection.
Read more on this story inside today's Argus.
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