Whooping cough cases are on the rise in three cities

TRI-CITIES, Wash. — Cases of whooping cough, also known as whooping cough, are on the rise in three cities.

There were no cases reported to the Benton Franklin Health District (BFHD) in 2023, but this year there were nine as of Nov. 8.

The number of cases statewide also has risen from 59 cases last year to more than 1,000 in 2024, according to the Washington State Department of Health.

According to BFHD public health nurse Heather Hill, a person with whooping cough may look like they have a common cold.

But over time, that person will develop a severe cough, which she describes as a “hundred-day cough.”

For more information about the symptoms of whooping cough, see Click here.

“Prevention is the best option because to treat whooping cough, there is an antibiotic that will get rid of the organism, but it will not stop the cough once it starts,” Hill says. “People will have a cough and it will persist for months.”

If you start to feel sick, Hill says it’s best to see a doctor and stay away from others, especially older adults and infants, who are more likely to have serious problems with whooping cough.

You can also get vaccinated to protect yourself and others.

Although the CDC says the vaccine is not perfect and cannot prevent the disease, it will reduce your symptoms.