CDC Reports Dramatic Increase in Whooping Cough: What Parents Should Know

Pertussis cases were lower than usual over the past few years, during and following the COVID-19 pandemic, the health agency said.
CDC Reports Dramatic Increase in Whooping Cough: What Parents Should Know
An undated image produced by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a whooping cough, or pertussis, bacteria cluster. US CDC
Jack Phillips
Jack Phillips
Breaking News Reporter
|Updated:
0:00

Cases of whooping cough, formally known as pertussis, are on the rise across the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Approximately 17,579 cases of the illness—caused by the Bordetella pertussis bacteria—have been reported as of the week ending on Oct. 5, the most recent data that the CDC has made available. About 3,962 cases of whooping cough were reported during the same time period in 2023, the CDC data show.
Jack Phillips
Jack Phillips
Breaking News Reporter
Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter who covers a range of topics, including politics, U.S., and health news. A father of two, Jack grew up in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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