Federal health officials say there’s an increase so far this year in the number of whooping cough cases around the country and here in Georgia.
Cases of the highly contagious respiratory illness were lower than usual over the past several years but have begun to climb to pre-pandemic levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The number of cases nationwide has more than tripled from 2023 to 2024. In Georgia, there were eight cases as of this time last year but, as of Aug. 17, there had been 45 reported.
You can read about steps to take to try and avoid whooping cough, also known as pertussis, here: