Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is making a comeback that no one asked for.
Thats a fivefold increase from the tally recorded in 2023, which only saw around 6,500 cases.
There are several factors to blame for the surge, experts say, including declining vaccination rates.
A 3D illustration of pertussis bacteria.© Dan Higgins/Science Photo Library via Getty
Pertussisis resulting from the bacteriumBordetellapertussis.
Since 2000, the U.S. has had tens of thousands of annually reported pertussis cases.
That said, this years tally is unusually high for modern times.
Its the highest number of cases seen since 2014, when there were 32,971 cases.
Another important factor concerns the vaccine itself.
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