Although San Marcos hospital decided to implement a health cordon after an administrative worker tested positive, the problem is not exclusive to that department, said Erika Gaitan, an epidemiologist with the health ministry.

That district already had several records, as did Malacatan, noted the head of surveillance for vaccine-preventable diseases at that state agency.

The affected person in San Marcos is an adult male, who has already been isolated and is receiving prophylactic treatment, the MSPAS added.

He reported that from January to August, they identified more than 340 suspected cases, of which 158 tested positive. 72 percent were children under five, a population considered the most vulnerable.

The documents, Gaitán explained, show that the departments with the most cases include this capital, Quetzaltenango, Izabal, and Huehuetenango.

Whooping cough cases in the Americas have risen dramatically in the last year, leading the Pan American Health Organization to reiterate the importance of strengthening vaccination and surveillance systems.

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