Texas is currently seeing four times as many cases of whooping cough compared to the same period last year, the state health department said in a health alert.
The state has reported more than 3,500 cases this year. This is the second year that Texas has seen large increases in whooping cough cases.
Nationally, pertussis cases have been higher over the past two years than levels seen in previous years and before the pandemic.
In 2024, the United States experienced approximately six times as many cases compared to 2023, CDC data shows. Cases remain high this year, but appear to have been trending downward since the peak seen last winter, the CDC says.
Federal public health data systems have not been updated amid the government shutdown. The latest available CDC numbers Since the end of September they show that the country has had at least 20,939 cases of whooping cough so far this year. In comparison, last year 21,391 cases were reported at the same time.
A general practitioner examines a coughing patient in a clinic, using a stethoscope.
FILE PHOTO/Getty Images
The highest number of cases in recent years comes as pertussis vaccination rates have steadily declined, CDC data shows. Approximately 92.1% of kindergarten children were vaccinated against whooping cough in the period 24-25 school year, compared to about 95% before the pandemic began.
shouting cough, also known as whooping cough, It is a very contagious respiratory disease caused by a type of bacteria. People can spread the bacteria from the onset of symptoms and for at least 2 weeks after the cough starts. can start like a common cold; however, The cough can last for weeks or months. Early treatment with antibiotics makes the infection less severe.
Medical records data show that Nebraska, Idaho, Oregon and Hawaii are the states with the highest rates nationwide, according to the most recent data from Epic Research.
Doctor visits, emergency room visits and hospitalizations remain lower than the peak seen last winter, the data shows.
