BILLINGS — Whooping cough is on the rise in the United States, and Montana is not immune.
In Yellowstone County this year, 11 cases were confirmed by RiverStone Health, and six were in November.
As the winter months begin, RiverStone Health is warning patients about ways to prevent the spread of the illness.
"Whooping cough is a respiratory infection that's passed from person to person through coughing, talking, sneezing," said Dr. Megan Littlefield, the chief medical officer at RiverStone Health.
Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, according to Littlefield, is different from a common cold or flu, as the coughing typically persists for more than seven days, and it comes with "coughing fits."
According to the CDC, about 10,000 Americans get diagnosed with pertussis a year, but in 2024 those numbers have drastically grown.
"The United States has recorded 16,000 cases of pertussis in 2024 so far. That is a significant jump compared to the same period of cases last year," said Lori Christenson, a health officer with the Gallatin City-County Health Department, on a video interview in November.
Now, that number has risen to almost 27,000 cases nationwide.
Littlefield says while most adults and older children can get over the illness within a week with antibiotics, infants and elderly populations are at risk.
"What we do know is as you get older, that vaccination protection can wane. But, if you get vaccinated every 10 years, it can help prevent adults and older people from getting it." she said Tuesday.
Littlefield says the reason for the spike in cases may be due to declining worries regarding safety, as from 2020-2023, only one case was confirmed in Yellowstone County.
"During the pandemic when people were not traveling, wearing masks, there was less risk of exposure. And so the cases went significantly down during that period," she said,
Luckily, there are treatment options and ways to prevent the spread of the illness.
"While whooping cough can cause serious illness, it's also important to note that it's generally treatable with antibiotics... Most people make a full recovery," Christenson said.
