Whooping Cough Outbreak in Michigan Trending to Record Cases

Anytime a contagious disease has nearly eight times as many cases as the year prior, there's plenty of cause for concern. Michigan is one of the states being hit the hardest by an annual contagious disease as case numbers have surged across the United States.

While it's not uncommon for this disease to spike in cases each year, 2024 has seen an alarming trend already.

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The CDC has confirmed more than 17,000 cases of whooping cough have been recorded in 2024 alone. That's more than four times the number of cases to this point in 2023.

Michigan is getting hit even harder as the Mitten State has more than 8 times the number of cases - 473 in 2024 compared to 58 in 2023.

Typically, there are more than 10,000 nationwide cases of whooping cough. This year, whooping cough is on track for more than 21,000 confirmed cases, the highest number of cases since 2014.

Whooping cough is a contagious disease that is most commonly found among children. Clinically known as pertussis, whooping cough typically resembles a common cold, though the infamous "whooping" that follows a coughing fit is a sure sign of whooping cough instead of a cold.

Infants and those with weakened immune systems, asthma or pre-existing health conditions possess a higher risk of complications after contracting pertussis.

Typically, the best way to avoid contracting whooping cough is with vaccinations. While vaccination and boosters don't grant full immunity from the disease, those who are vaccinated against pertussis experience more mild symptoms and recover quicker.

Michigan's numbers are high, especially compared to 2023. However, there are other states nearby dealing with more cases than usual as well, including Ohio (814 cases in 2024, 525 in 2023) and Illinois (1,53 in 2024, 302 in 2023). Wisconsin has seen one of the most drastic spikes in cases out of the states in the Great Lakes region with 903 cases so far this year compared to 31 cases in 2023.