Whooping cough cases soar by 1,500% leaving two dead and health experts concerned it could be next outbreak

State and local health officials are seeing skyrocketing cases of whooping cough, and experts are sounding the alarm it could join the outbreak of measles in impacting thousands of Americans.

Cases of the highly contagious bacterial infection have reportedly risen by more than 1,500 percent nationwide since 2021. Cases of whooping cough have been high in measles-stricken Texas, with the Laredo Public Health Department reporting more cases there than all of last year.

“We’ve seen more cases of whooping cough this year in Laredo than in the past few years,” Dr. Richard Chamberlain, director of Laredo Public Health told The Laredo Morning Times. “This isn’t just happening in Laredo; other places in Texas are also seeing more cases. Right now, we’re keeping a close eye on it. There’s no need to panic, but it’s important to stay informed and take simple steps to help keep everyone safe.”

Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial infection that primarily impacts babies younger than one year old and can cause serious complications, including life-threatening pauses in breathing.

Deaths from whooping cough are also on the rise, according to a recent report in ProPublica. Within the past six months, two infants have died in Louisiana – the first such deaths since 2018.

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“Many babies who get whooping cough are infected by family members or caregivers who may not even know they are carrying the bacteria,” the Louisiana Office of the Surgeon General noted earlier this month. “About half of babies younger than a year old who get whooping cough will need hospital care.”

The Gulf Coast state has seen 110 cases in 2025. Last year, state health authorities reported 154 cases for the entire year.

In North Carolina, 166 cases have been identified throughout the state so far, WITN reported, and WXYZ said there have been 520 cases in Michigan.

Across the nation, there was a sharp spike in cases last year, with the number rising markedly from 7,063 in 2023 to 35,435 in 2024. There were 10 people – the majority of whom were under one year old – who died. Single-digit deaths had been reported in the three prior years, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“It's the highest number in more than a decade. In the few years prior to the pandemic, for example, we were seeing roughly between 15,000 and 19,000 cases. So, like in Louisiana, this rise in cases nationwide is something to keep an eye on and to be concerned about,” American Medical Association Vice President of Science, Medicine and Public Health Dr. Andrea Garcia.

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There is a way to stave off whooping cough, which is also known as pertussis. The best way to prevent the contagious respiratory illness is through vaccination, although protection wanes over time.

Without the vaccine, infants younger than a year old who contract pertussis are at risk of developing pneumonia, seizures and other complications. Some babies with whooping cough may struggle to breathe – but others may experience symptoms like it’s a common cold.

Experts tie recent outbreaks to populations with no or reduced protection amid declining vaccination rates.

"When you start to see these outbreaks … it tends to be as a result of that increased circulation of the microbe in the community, as well as populations with no immunity or reduced immunity that are susceptible to the infection," Dr. Lisa Morici, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the Tulane University School of Medicine, told CIDRAP.

“This is not just measles,” Dr. Adam Ratner, a pediatric infectious diseases doctor in New York City, told ProPublica. “It’s a bright-red warning light.”