Arkansas has reported more than 500 cases of pertussis in 2025. Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, has reached its highest level in the state since the Arkansas Department of Health began routinely collecting this data 15 years ago.
Pertussis cases have been identified in many areas around the state, with over 50 counties reporting at least one case this year. The number of pertussis cases has also increased nationwide.
For 2025, the majority of pertussis cases in Arkansas were reported among school-aged children and teenagers. At least 50 people were hospitalized due to pertussis, which was 10 percent of the total reported cases. More than 60 percent of those hospitalized were infants younger than one year of age…