Whooping cough is making a strong comeback in the United States as data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a steep rise in reported cases.

The CDC said that cases of whooping cough, also known as "pertussis," in 2024 surpassed totals seen in recent years and marked the highest national case count since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.

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“We are seeing a significant rise in cases of whooping cough,” Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, a pediatrician and professor of health policy and management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told NBCUniversal Local in an interview. “The bacteria is roaring back.”

The bacterial infection is highly contagious and spreads through coughing an

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