Whooping cough and pneumonia on the rise in Mass.

Public health officials are warning of an uptick in whooping cough and pneumonia cases in Massachusetts and nationwide. 

Whooping cough, formally known as pertussis, can present like the common cold but is notorious for the “whoop” noise a patient makes when gasping for air after a coughing fit. The respiratory illness poses a serious health risk to infants and young children. 

Recent data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that nationally, whooping cough cases are about five times higher this year compared to last year. In 2023, the U.S. saw 4,809 cases, but as of Nov. 2, there had been 22,240 documented cases. 

New England has had 866 reported cases of whooping cough this year, up from 60 cases last year. In Massachusetts, there have been 541 cases so far this year compared to 11 cases last year. Maine has had 115 cases this year, and Rhode Island has had 79.

The spike in cases suggests that the U.S. is starting to return to pre-COVID-19 pandemic patterns, which typically bring more than 10,000 cases per year.

“It’s clear we’re seeing common pre-pandemic illnesses return with a bit of a vengeance. And the reality is, we don’t quite understand exactly why all of that happens,” Dr. Michael Koster, the division director of pediatric infectious diseases at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, told The Boston Globe. 

Koster said that unvaccinated individuals who are young or elderly are at the highest risk of severe health complications from the infection. 

“We’re just seeing a lot more vaccine hesitancy. We’re seeing a lot more vaccine-preventable illnesses that we could be controlling better with vaccines,” he told the Globe.

Experts say it’s important to treat whooping cough early before the onset of coughing fits. Several antibiotics are effective at treating whooping cough. 

Massachusetts public health officials are also monitoring an increase in walking pneumonia in recent weeks, particularly among children and young adults. According to the CDC, common symptoms of the illness include cough, fever, headache, and fatigue.