HEALTH officials have raised concerns over a rise in the number of cases of whooping cough nationally.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said there were 553 new cases of whooping cough in January.

This compares with 858 cases for the whole of 2023.

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a bacterial infection of the lungs and breathing tubes.

Symptoms are similar to a cold at first but after around a week patients will get coughing bouts which last for a few minutes and are worse at night.

Young babies may also make a distinctive "whoop" or have difficulty breathing after a bout of coughing.

The condition spreads very easily and can sometimes cause serious problems.

The UKHSA said that there were low case numbers during the pandemic due to reduced social mixing.

Officials warned that the increase in cases comes at a time when there has been a steady decline in uptake of the vaccine against whooping cough in pregnant women and in children.

Parents have been urged to check that their child is vaccinated against whooping cough and the UKHSA is reminding pregnant women to get the vaccine so their babies are protected at birth.