11 May 2006

Whooping cough breaks out in East Sepik

5:18 pm on 11 May 2006

Doctors are making urgent plans in Papua New Guinea's East Sepik province to curtail an outbreak of whooping cough.

The Post Courier reports the communicable disease has killed at least 12 children aged up to five, and health workers are working around the clock to stop its spread.

80 cases a day have been reported after first being detected three weeks ago, prompting provincial health officials to declare the situation an emergency.