site.btaUPDATED Two Infants Infected with Pertussis Die

Two infants infected with pertussis have died, BTA learned from Chief State Health Inspector Angel Kunchev. They had not had the first dose of the vaccine against whooping cough yet as they were under two months old.

The infants lived in the Roma neighbourhood of the southwestern town of Kyustendil. In both cases the parents sought medical attention rather late and the babies died on April 10 and 14.

So far this year, Bulgaria has registered 205 cases of whooping cough, which puts potential morbidity at up to 10,000 people, Kunchev said. The disease is treatable and responds to antibiotics. Of the 205 infected, no more than 10% have been hospitalized, he added.

Health Minister Galya Kondeva told a briefing that her Ministry had sent letters to the Regional Health Inspectorates, asking general practitioners to review the vaccinations and booster vaccines of the children on their lists. The Health Ministry, the National Health Insurance Fund and the Medical Supervision Executive Agency will analyse the data. Instructions about laboratory diagnostics were given on Thursday.