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Officially known as pertussis, those infected have persistent, chronic fits of coughing followed by a “whoop” sound.
"Reports of pertussis cases were lower than usual over the past few years, during and following the COVID-19 pandemic.," the CDC said in a new advisory. "However, the United States is beginning to return to pre-pandemic patterns where more than 10,000 cases are typically reported each year. It's likely mitigation measures used during the pandemic (e.g., masking, remote learning) lowered transmission of pertussis."
The agency reports that the number of reported cases this year is higher than what was seen at the same time in 2019, before the pandemic.
Preliminary data shows that more than five times as many cases were reported as of week 43, reported on Saturday, Oct. 26, compared to the same time in 2023.
The CDC recommends whooping cough vaccination for everyone, as the best way to prevent getting infected
The agency notes that whooping cough outbreaks can be difficult to identify and manage for many reasons, including:
- Cases of whooping cough may go unreported
- Other respiratory bacteria and viruses often cause similar symptoms
- Other bacteria and viruses can spread at the same time
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