Pertussis deaths rise in US as infections continue to rise
Brutal respiratory infection infects thousands of people in the US in 2025 and kills at least 13
Peter Daisley/Getty Images
The cases of whooping cough are increasing rapidly in America, this year thousands of people have been infected by this bacterial infection and at least 13 people have died. While the infection rate is lower than last year, it remains above normal pre-pandemic years, and the number of deaths has increased.
The respiratory infection, also known as pertussis, is characterized by a severe, violent cough that can leave people—especially infants—struggling to breathe. Although it is rarely fatal, its long-lasting symptoms have earned it the nickname “100-day cough”.
This disease is caused by bacteria Bordetella pertussisWhich emits toxins into a person’s respiratory tract, making early treatment with antibiotics important for managing the infection. The bacteria spreads easily between people through both direct contact and droplets from the mouth or nose.
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As of Dec. 20, there have been 27,871 cases of whooping cough in the U.S. and its territories so far this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last year at this time, the number was 41,922, a staggering increase after four years of less than 10,000 cases annually during the peak of the Covid pandemic. In the years between 2003 and 2019, the US typically saw 10,000 to 20,000 cases annually; The highest rate during that time was in 2012, with 48,277 cases.
According to a recent report by the Pan American Health Organization, at least 13 people have died from pertussis so far this year. Provisional CDC data from last year noted 10 deaths from the infection.
Public health experts fear that this year’s continued high rates of whooping cough after a surge last year could be a symptom of declining vaccination levels.
The DTaP vaccine protects infants and young children from pertussis, while the Tdap vaccination protects older children and adults. Both shots also protect against tetanus and diphtheria. The CDC has traditionally recommended these vaccinations starting at two months of age; Under the agency’s guidelines, children should receive four doses in their first two years and a total of six doses before they reach age 13. But for children born in 2021, the most recent group for which data is available, only 79 percent had received four shots of DTaP by age two.
Whooping cough is most dangerous in infants under one year old, and public health experts also advise pregnant people to get tdap vaccine To transfer antibodies to newborns. All adults are recommended to get a Tdap vaccine every 10 years to ensure continued protection.
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