Czech Republic reports nearly 5,300 whooping cough cases this year

PRAGUE, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 5,300 cases of whooping cough, or pertussis, have been reported in the Czech Republic so far this year, according to data from the Czech State Health Institute (SZU).

In its epidemiological situation report published on Tuesday, the SZU said 1,044 cases of whooping cough were recorded in the 13th week (March 25-31) of this year, bringing the yearly total to 5,297. Local media reports that this year's outbreak in the country has been the most severe since the 1960s.