Sharp increase in reported cases of whooping cough

There has been a sharp rise this year in whooping cough — a disease that can be fatal in young children.

According to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), 54 of the 77 cases of the disease reported during the first three months of this year were laboratory-confirmed.

There were just 15 cases of the disease reported to the public health watchdog over the same period last year.