Whooping cough has been surging in the United States for months and the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests there are no signs of slowing.
There have been more than 32,000 cases reported so far this year, according to preliminary data from mid-December — about six times more than there were at this time last year and more than there have been since 2014.
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a very contagious respiratory illness. For many, the bacterial infection starts with symptoms similar to the common cold — a runny nose, sneezing, a low-grade fever and a tickly cough — but a painful, full-body cough can develop after a week or two. These coughing fits can be so severe that they cause patients to vomit or break ribs, and they’re often accompanied by a whooping sound as the person tries to catch their breath.
This coughing can last for weeks or months, and people can spread the infectious bacteria for weeks after the cough develops. However, infections can be mild enough for some that they spread the illness without even knowing they have it.
Like many respiratory illnesses, whooping cough cases dropped to low levels during the pandemic as people limited social interactions and took other precautions to defend against Covid-19. There are peaks in reported cases of whooping cough every few years, according to the CDC, and the latest trends suggest that the US is returning to pre-pandemic trends.
But reported cases have been climbing sharply for months and they’ve more than doubled since mid-September, CDC data shows. About a quarter of all cases have been reported in the Midwest region including Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. Pennsylvania has more reported cases than any other state.
While whooping cough can be serious for all ages, children younger than 1 are particularly sensitive because their immune systems are still developing. This is especially true for infants and young children who haven’t had all their recommended vaccines.
Vaccination is the best way to protect against whooping cough, the CDC says; the agency recommends that children get the DTaP vaccine and adolescents and adults get the TDaP vaccine.
But vaccination rates among children have fallen; only about 92% of kindergartners had gotten their DTaP vaccine for the 2023-2024 school year, below the 95% federal target and leaving thousands of schoolchildren vulnerable. Protection among those who are vaccinated can also fade over time.
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Antibiotics can treat the infection, but only if it’s caught within the first few weeks, before the arrival of the exhausting, painful cough. Then, the only treatment is comfort care with plenty of rest and fluids while the infection runs its course.
As the US moves into the winter season, broader respiratory illness activity is relatively moderate. Surveillance data suggests that Covid-19 levels are starting to increase from low levels and flu levels are continuing to rise, too.