Five times as many cases of the potentially fatal illness have been reported so far in 2024, compared with the same time last year.

U.S. health officials say whooping cough is at its highest level in a decade for this time of year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that so far this year there have been about 18,

The CDC reported that more than five times as many whooping cough cases have been recorded compared to 2023 in a return to pre-pandemic levels.

There has been a fourfold increase in whooping cough cases in the USA this season. The illness, particularly severe in infants, starts with mild cold-like symptoms but can escalate to life-threatening complications like pneumonia and seizures.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday that whooping cough cases for this time of year hit their highest level in a decade. With 18,506 cases reported so far in 2024, the total marks the most cases recorded since 2014,

The CDC said there have been four-times as many cases of whooping cough as last year. This disease along with walking pneumonia are becoming more common, especially in children. These illnesses are highly contagious,