TOPEKA ( KSNT ) – Kansas health officials are monitoring a spike in whooping cough cases around the state this year, marking one of the biggest increases in case numbers in nearly a decade.
27 News checked with Jill Bronaugh, spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment ( KDHE ), who said the agency has been monitoring a rise in pertussis, also known commonly as whooping cough, since the late summer of 2024. Whooping cough cases are increasing nationally, reaching near record numbers as the year comes to an end.
“This is the highest number of whooping cough cases reported since 2015,” Bronaugh said. “The trend of increased cases is occurring nationally, as well, with preliminary data showing more than six times the cases compared to this time last year.”
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Bronaugh said 246 cases of whooping cough have been confirmed as of Dec. 18. The KDHE previously issued a warning about an increase in cases on Sept. 17 , stating that 98 cases of pertussis were confirmed as of Sept. 13 compared to 41 cases at the same point in time last year.