By Susie Beever Cases of whooping cough have soared by nearly half in just a week, grim new health figures show. The Victorian disease, dubbed the ‘100-day cough’, is tearing through England and Wales at an alarming rate. Some 824 Brits have so far had the illness confirmed in the week up to April 14, a rise of 40% from the 595 reported the previous week. The South West and South East currently have the highest rates of infection, according to data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Whooping cough, officially named pertussis, affects predominantly infants and young children, and is ch…