Cases of a highly contagious Victorian-era disease have increased fivefold compared to last year, health officials have warned.
The CDC said the US has recorded more than 15,000 cases of whooping cough so far in 2024, compared to 3,600 this time last year.
Although the intention is for children to be vaccinated before entering primary school, officials noted that vaccination rates have fallen after the Covid pandemic.
Cases of the disease, which affects all ages but is most dangerous for young children, were highest in Pennsylvania, with just over 2,087 cases.
New York and Illinois followed closely with 1,781 and 1,058 cases, respectively.
The condition kills about one in every 100 babies who become infected, including at least one baby in Alaska earlier this month, where rates have risen 70-fold. Last year three children were killed.
According to the latest CDC data, whooping cough rates in the US are five times higher than this time last year (stock image)
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The bacterial disease, also known as whooping cough, was common in the twentieth century and was previously controllable through vaccination.
But experts warn the increase could be due to more parents foregoing whooping cough vaccines for their children after the pandemic, and the disease becoming more active and better at evading vaccines.
The findings come after officials in Idaho warned that the number of cases in the state was 17 times higher than at this time last year. Idaho has seen 230 cases so far in 2024, compared to 13 at this point last year, according to CDC data.
Whooping cough occurs when bacteria attach to tiny hairs in the throat and nose and release toxins that cause the airways to swell.
Initially this may cause mild symptoms, such as a runny nose or mild cough, but it can develop into a cough so severe that many patients experience vomiting and difficulty breathing.
According to the latest CDC data, 15,661 cases of whooping cough have been reported so far this year, compared to 3,635 this time last year.
In Pennsylvania, whooping cough cases rose from 198 this time last year to 2,087, a more than tenfold increase.
Of New York’s cases, about one in three were concentrated in New York City, the data show.
California and Washington states rounded out the top five states with the highest numbers, with 1,045 and 773 cases, respectively.
Regional data shows that the Mid-Atlantic states – New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania – had the most cases, with 3,996.
And while the country wasn’t in the top 10, Alaska saw the biggest increase. This time last year, the state reported just four cases. However, 297 have been observed so far this year, almost 70 times as many as the year before.
Health officials warned that the infection may initially be difficult to distinguish from a cold because the first signs are a runny nose and sore throat. But about a week later, patients may experience coughing fits that last minutes, have difficulty breathing after coughing, and make a “whoop” sound between coughs.
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Experts have suggested the increase may be due to parents becoming more wary of vaccines following the Covid pandemic.
Dr. Tina Tan, president-elect of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, said NBC News: ‘With the increase in vaccine hesitancy since the Covid-19 pandemic, we are seeing outbreaks occurring in children who have not been vaccinated.’
The CDC said that “vaccination is the best way to prevent whooping cough. This is the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough) vaccine, which is usually given as a booster to babies, teens, and adults every ten years.
However, the CDC also noted that the bacteria that causes whooping cough, Bordetella pertussis, is susceptible to mutations that could allow it to evade vaccines.
FDA advisers met last month to discuss the need for longer-lived vaccines, NBC News reported.
Despite the grim statistics, not all states saw an increase. Nevada, for example, has reported just six cases so far, compared to 31 this time last year.
Additionally, Utah has reported slightly fewer cases this year, with 145 compared to 172 last year.