Wisconsin has reported more whooping cough cases this year than nearly every other state, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
As of Dec. 7, Wisconsin has recorded 2,339 cases of the highly contagious bacterial infection, trailing only Pennsylvania (2,757 cases) and New York (2,512 cases). Nationally, the CDC has reported more than 30,000 cases of whooping cough in 2024, more than six times the number reported at this time last year.
Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a cyclical disease that typically sees significant spikes every few years, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS). At this time last year, Wisconsin had reported only 29 cases. In 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, the state recorded 532 cases, while a major outbreak in 2012 resulted in 6,880 confirmed and probable cases, the CDC reported.
This year’s cases include 85 infants, 12 of whom required hospitalization, DHS data shows. Half of all cases in Wisconsin have been reported in residents aged 11 to 18. More than 90% of counties in the state have recorded at least one case, but no deaths have been reported.