The number of measles and whooping cough cases is rising in Wallonia, reveals the Agency for Quality of Life (Aviq) in its quarterly report.
As of 30 June, there were 73 confirmed instances of measles, an increase of 69 over the same period in 2023.
Verviers and its surroundings have seen a particular surge, with 42 confirmed measles cases between 1 May and 30 June. These account for 86% and 79% of all cases in the Liège province and Wallonia, respectively, during this period.
Most reported cases (74%) were among children under the age of ten, the majority of which were unvaccinated, not sufficiently vaccinated, or had an unknown vaccination status.
There were also two registered cases among unvaccinated adults aged 40 and 41 years.
Whooping cough
Whooping cough has also shown an upward trend since July 2023; by May 2024, it reached the highest monthly case count in the past decade. As of 30th June, 1,384 cases—1,256 confirmed and 128 suspected—were recorded.
The provinces of Hainaut, Walloon Brabant, and Liège had the most confirmed cases, with 410, 312, and 294 cases respectively. The majority of the patients were minors.
Among the confirmed cases, 88 people required hospitalisation, including 51 children under six months.
In Belgium, no autochthonous (originating in the place where found) case of dengue, chikungunya, or Zika was diagnosed in 2023.
However, surveillance of the tiger mosquito, known to transmit these viruses to humans, is underway. During the 2023 season, it was detected in 25 locations across the country.
