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

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. Year-over-year, the number of whooping cough cases has increased by around 343 percent. “In 2024, reported cases of pertussis increased across the United States, indicating a return to more typical trends,” the CDC said on Oct. 10....