It's a respiratory illness that may start out like a cold.
But pertussis, also known as whooping cough, can last for weeks or months.
In today’s Wellness Wednesday, where we’re Healthier Together, CNN’s Mandy Gaither explains on the latest data and how to protect against this disease.
(The following is from Mandy Gaither's Health Minute: Whooping Cough Cases the highest in a decade)
It's a disease that's been surging for months.
Now, the CDC says whooping cough cases are the highest they've been in a decade in the U.S., with no signs of slowing down.
"What this bacteria does is it, it attaches to the cells that line the airways, they're called cilia, the sort of hair-like cells and damages those cells and creates a tremendous cough,” said dr. Jonathan Reiner with The George Washington University Hospital.
There have been more than 33,400 cases reported this year through December 21st according to preliminary CDC data.
Early treatment with antibiotics may lessen the severity of the infection, but experts say this disease also preventable through vaccination.
"Prior to the 1940s, when vaccinations were not that common in the United States, about 9,000 kids would die per year in the united states,” said Dr. Reiner.
In the U.S., the vaccine coverage rate that protects against whooping cough was just over 92-percent for the 2023-24 school year.
A decrease from the year before, and coverage for all vaccines decreased in most states.
"As this rate drops, the level of infection in the community rises. And so far this year, we've seen about 6 times more whooping cough than we did last year,” added Dr. Reiner.
Those at highest risk of getting severely sick include young children, those with medical conditions like asthma, and anyone with a weakened immune system.
"We can vaccinate children and we really need to get back to sort of a same environment where parents are, are really taught that these childhood illnesses are unnecessary,” said Dr. Reiner.
