Pacific Northwest Sees Surge in Whooping Cough Cases

Babies are especially at risk from the sickness, with infants under the age of 1 accounting for 12 out of 28 hospitalizations this year in Washington.

An undated image produced by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a whooping cough, or pertussis, bacteria cluster. Courtesy of the CDC

An increase in pertussis, also known as whooping cough, has been reported in the Pacific Northwest states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.

Oregon has a total of 827 cases of pertussis in 23 counties during 2024, according to a Nov. 14 statement from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). This is an approximately 2,500 percent jump from the 32 cases reported last year.