Whooping cough infections climb to over 17,600 cases in the US

Whooping cough (pertussis) infections continue to rise in the U.S., with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimating more than 17,600 cases as of Oct.5.That’s more than a 340% increase over the 3,962 cases reported last October.Pre-pandemic, cases would typically exceed 10,000 per year, spiking to 18,600 in 2019.Post-pandemic, whooping cough diagnoses plummeted, with just 2,100 cases reported in 2021.The 10 states with the highest number of cumulative (year to date) cases include Pennsylvania (2,209), New York (1,228), Illinois (1,153), California (1,123), Wisconsin (903), Washington (844), Ohio (814), Texas (676), Oregon (546), Arizona (491).One theory for the spike is that cases fell sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic, as mask-wearing, social distancing and other infection protocols helped to protect against whooping cough.“They are increasing more now as our immune systems are exposed to viruses and bacteria we haven’t seen and are slower to respond,” Dr.

Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, previously told Fox News Digital.Whooping cough outbreaks typically occur when there are populations with low vaccination rates, Katy Dubinsky, a New York pharmacist and the CEO and co-founder of Vitalize, a private supplement company, previously told Fox News Digital.“Pertussis is highly contagious, and in areas where herd immunity is not strong due to insufficient vaccination, the disease can spread more easily,” she told Fox News Digital.“Additionally, the immunity from the vaccine or previous infection wanes over time, which can also contribute to outbreaks.”A highly contagious respiratory tract infection, pertussis gets its more common name, “whooping cough,” from the severe hacking cough that some people develop.In addition to the cough, initial symptoms mimic those of a cold — including nasal congestion, runny nose, fever, and red, watery e...