Suspected whooping cough kills at least 10 children

Health officials in the Afghan capital Kabul have confirmed that at least 10 children have died following a suspected outbreak of whooping cough in the Khvahan district of northeastern Badakhshan province over the past few days. "Just a few hours ago our local health officials and also the WHO [World Health Organization] reported that 10 to 15 children had died as a result of possible whooping cough in Khvahan," Abdullah Shirzai Afghan, deputy minister of public health, told IRIN on Thursday. Pertussis, otherwise known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious bacterial infection that causes coughing and gagging with little or no fever. An infected person has cough episodes that may end in vomiting or cause a "whoop" sound when the person breathes in. Its means of transmission is by direct contact with discharges from the nose and throat of infected individuals. And while pertussis can affect people of any age, it is most dangerous to infants less than 1 year old who may develop pneumonia, convulsions, and rarely, brain damage or death. Young children who have not been immunized have the most severe symptoms. Serious complications are less likely in older children and adults, health experts say. According to the Afghan Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), severe cold weather and heavy snowfalls could be the reason behind this latest outbreak. Officials believe any emergency response will be very difficult to enact, as the isolated district is not easily accessible by road during winter. "We used helicopters during last year's whooping cough emergency response and even that proved difficult due to freezing weather in Khvahan," Shirzai said. "We have asked neighbouring provinces to assist the teams in Badakhshan until more assistance arrives," he maintained. State-run Radio Afghanistan quoting local health officials, reported on Thursday evening that the death toll may increase if proper measures are not taken on time. This is the second time the district has experienced an outbreak of this nature. In early 2003, an emergency effort was launched by aid agencies and the government, following an outbreak of pertussis that had threatened the lives of some 40,000 children in Khvahan and its neighbouring district of Ragh - both bordering Tajikistan. The Afghan Deputy Minister said inaccessibility of districts in Badakhshan during the winter was a serious challenge. In addition to several whooping cough outbreaks in recent years in Badakhshan, the province has the highest rate of maternal mortality in the country.