There have been over 32,000 cases of whooping cough recorded in the U.S. in 2024 so far, the highest annual total in a decade. The big picture: Experts attribute the spike in part to a return to pre-pandemic levels — but the number of cases on record this year far surpasses the total from 2019.

Whooping cough cases have reached the highest annual total in a decade and are more than six times higher than at the same time last year.

Whooping cough cases are racing across the country. The U.S. has seen five times more cases in 2024 than we did at this time last year. That includes a resurgence in the DMV. “So whooping cough is caused by the pertussis bacteria.

The number of whooping cough cases in the US so far in 2024 is more than 32,000, the highest in a decade, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show. As many cases of pertussis, as it's also known,