34 counties have had cases of whooping cough this year; state health department says highest level of infection since 2016-17

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News 

In about a month, cases of whooping cough in Kentucky increased nearly 82%, indicating an elevated rate of infection, according to the state Department for Public Health. 

On July 19, DPH reported 138 cases of whooping cough, known medically as pertussis, in Kentucky this year, On June 14, Kentucky Health News reported there had been 76 cases in 2024. 

Statewide, 34 of the 120 counties have reported cases this year, up from 25 reporting cases on June 14. The state had 35 cases in 2022 and 84 in 2023. 

2024 pertussis cases by county
(Table by state Department for Public Health)

DPH says this level of infection has not been seen in Kentucky since 2016-17 when when 463 and 449 cases were reported, respectively.

“Anyone can get pertussis, though infants are at greatest risk for life-threatening illness,” Dr. Steven Stack, DPH commissioner, said in a news release. “Fortunately, vaccinations are available to help prevent serious disease.”

Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory illness spread by coughing and sneezing. Infected people can spread the disease from the start of symptoms and at least two weeks after coughing begins.

Early symptoms of whooping cough look like a common cold, including runny nose, sneezing, mild cough and low-grade fever. After one to two weeks, long coughing spells develop, which often occur in explosive bursts, sometimes ending with a high-pitched whoop and vomiting. This can go on for up to 10 weeks or more, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Babies younger than one year old are at greatest risk of getting whooping cough and having severe complications from it. And people with pre-existing health conditions that may be worsened by whooping cough are at high risk for developing a severe infection. 

And because some people have mild symptoms and don't know they have it, the disease can be spread unknowingly.  Many babies are infected this way, says the release.

DPH reports that this year in Kentucky, "at least eight cases have resulted in hospitalization – four infants, one school-aged child and three adults – and there have been no known deaths at this time. The majority of identified cases have occurred in school-aged children. Additional cases have been identified in infants/toddlers and adults."

The best way to prevent whooping cough is through vaccination. The childhood vaccine is called DTaP. Infants should receive a series of DTaP immunizations at 2, 4, and 6 months, with boosters at 15-18 months and 4-6 years. Children should then get a single dose of the booster, called Tdap, at 11 or 12. Boosters are required every 10 years to maintain efficacy.

In addition, pregnant women should be immunized with every pregnancy to protect their babies, says DPH. 

The pertussis vaccine, which is combined with tetanus and diphtheria vaccines, is required for Kentucky school children.

Whooping cough cases keep rising in Lexington and statewide; anyone with cold-like symptoms lasting 2 weeks should get tested

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

Fayette County continues to experience a whooping cough outbreak, part of a statewide year-to-year increase in cases of the disease that is most serious in infants, young children and those with chronic diseases.

"Lexington has more pertussis, or whooping cough, cases in the last six weeks than the previous five years combined," Kevin Hall, communications officer for the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department, said in an email. "Fayette County is now up to 27 confirmed cases reported since April 26 . . .  compared to 16 total the previous five years."

Statewide, 25 of 120 counties have reported cases, and the total (76) has almost reached last year's total (84) with more than half of the year remaining.

2024 pertussis cases by county
(Data from state Dept. for Public Health)

Whooping cough, known medically as pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory illness spread by coughing and sneezing.  Infected people can spread the disease from the start of symptoms and at least two weeks after coughing begins. 

Early symptoms of whooping cough look like a common cold, including runny nose, sneezing, mild cough and low-grade fever. After one to two weeks, long coughing spells develop, which often occur in explosive bursts, sometimes ending with a high-pitched whoop and vomiting. This can go on for up to 10 weeks or more, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The best way to prevent whooping cough is through vaccination. The childhood vaccine is called DTaP. Infants should receive a series of DTaP immunizations at 2, 4, and 6 months, with boosters at 15-18 months and 4-6 years. Children should then get a single dose of the booster, called Tdap, at 11 or 12. Boosters are required every 10 years to maintain efficacy.

"Anyone with cold-like symptoms lasting a week or two should ask their provider to be tested for pertussis," said Hall. "A cough isn’t always present, and the violent cough takes a few weeks before it appears, if it happens at all."

So far in 2024, 76 confirmed cases of pertussis have been reported in Kentucky. That's up from 46 confirmed cases that were reported by the state to Kentucky Health News in mid-May. The state had 35 cases in 2022 and 84 in 2023.

Last May, State Epidemiologist Kathleen Winter said at an immunization summit that the U.S. has a spike in pertussis about every five years. She said there was a "major epidemic" in 2012 and "We are well positioned to have another one." 

Asked about this, Brice Mitchell, a spokesman for the state Department for Public Health, said in an email dated May 24 that while cases of pertussis tend to peak every three to five years, this pattern was disrupted during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

"In recent years, pertussis incidence has remained low in Kentucky. (35 cases in 2022 and 84 cases in 2023) The last major peak occurred in 2016-2017 when 463 and 449 cases were reported, respectively," he said. "There is no clear indication that Kentucky is currently headed into an elevated incidence year for pertussis, however the Kentucky Department for Public Health continues to work with local health departments to identify cases and closely monitor trends." 

Kentucky is seeing an 'unusually high uptick' in pertussis, known as whooping cough; Lexington outbreak grows to 24 cases

Kentucky doctors and the state Department for Public Health "are seeing an unusually high uptick in whooping cough," or pertussis, Louisville's WDRB reports. "Immunity for vaccination or natural infections wanes over time, so people who are fully vaccinated can still get whooping cough. Doctors said the vaccine lessens the severity and will likely keep someone out of the hospital."

Kentucky had 84 confirmed cases of pertussis in 2023, and 66 confirmed so far in 2024, said Brice Mitchell, spokesman for the department. That works out to just under two cases a week last year, and just under three cases a week so far this year. 

Seven more cases of pertussis were confirmed in Lexington last week, bringing the total to 21 since April 26. The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department declared a pertussis outbreak on May 20. UPDATE, June 9: The department confirmed three more cases, bringing the total to 24.

Most of Kentucky's cases have been in school-age children, but some been in infants and adults, WDRB reports.

"It's not unusual to actually see whooping cough; however, the numbers that are being seen, that is definitely unusual, " Dr. Mark Burns of the University of Louisville told WDRB. "It's usually not that prevalent as it is right now."

The state is part of a spotty national trend. Clusters of pertussing cases have also been reported in Oregon and wetsren Pennsylvania. Through May, about 5,000 cases had been reported in the U.S., more than double the number for the same five months in 2022.

"Rates of whooping cough, like those of some other infectious diseases, declined soon after the start of the pandemic, as people wore masks and practiced social distancing, precautions that many have ceased," The Washington Post reports, quoting experts. "But during the early months of the pandemic, when people feared being exposed to the coronavirus in a doctor’s office, some children may have missed vaccination appointments, leaving them vulnerable to future infections."

C. Buddy Creech, director of the Vanderbilt University Vaccine Research Program and a pediatric infectious-disease researcher for 20 years, told the Post, “This is still a terrible, terrible disease, one we’d do well to protect against.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says pertussis cases are returning to “pre-pandemic patterns,” more than 10,000 cases a year. The Post reports, "From January 2023 through May 25, 2024, whooping cough caused 15 deaths in the United States, though the CDC declined to say how many of those deaths occurred this year," indicating that the number is less than 5.

"England has also reported a substantial increase in whooping cough cases in the first three months of 2024, including the deaths of five infants," the Post reports. "Although the disease is best known for its toll on babies, the infection can cause serious illness in people older than 65, including rib fractures and significant pneumonia, Creech said."

Lexington has outbreak of whooping cough, which can be deadly for babies and prevented with vaccine that some adults need too

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

An outbreak of whooping cough has been declared in Fayette County after nine cases have been confirmed by the local health department since late April.

Whooping cough, known medically as pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory illness spread by coughing and sneezing. It affects people of all ages but can be most serious in infants, young children and those with chronic diseases.

The disease is largely preventable by vaccination, but vaccination rates for pertussis and other diseases prevalent in childhood have been declining.

"All Central Kentucky caregivers should be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of pertussis, or whooping cough, while ensuring their kids are up to date on their vaccines or fully vaccinated with the booster," the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department said in a news release. 

The latest Fayette County cases include one at Lafayette High School, one at St. Peter and Paul Catholic School and a community case involving a person in their 80s, according to the release.

Dr. Sean M. McTigue, medical director for pediatric infection prevention and control at Kentucky Children's Hospital, said symptoms of pertussis in children, adolescents and adults first look like an upper respiratory infection, including nasal congestion, runny nose and possible fever, and then lead to a "very intense and prolonged cough." 

 

"The cough is characterized by prolonged coughing fits that typically end with a loud “whoop” when catching breath afterwards," he said. "These coughing spells can be so intense that a patient may fracture ribs or rupture blood vessels in the eyes." 

The early symptoms of whooping cough can last for one to two weeks and the "coughing fits" usually last one to six weeks, but can last for up to 10 weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People are contagious from the start of symptoms and for at least two weeks after the coughing begins, says the CDC.

"Any school-age children with symptoms of pertussis should stay home from school and visit their health-care provider for evaluation, even if they have previously been vaccinated," said the release.

Some adults need vaccine boosters

While most of the Fayette County cases have been seen in adolescents, McTigue said, "Pertussis is more dangerous to young infants." 

"In young infants, pertussis more often presents with apnea," a sleeep disorder, he said. "This means that the infant stops breathing for a period of time. This can be long enough to cause severe damage or death if not noticed promptly. For this reason it is extremely important that all infants be vaccinated against pertussis." 

Between 2010 and 2020, the CDC reports, up to 20 babies died from pertussis each year in the United States.

It's recommended that pregnant women should get a single dose of the pertussis vaccine during every pregnancy, preferably at 27 through 36 weeks.

"Being vaccinated during pregnancy will allow the mother to pass antibodies along to the infant prior to delivery as another key part of prevention for the most vulnerable," said McTigue.

He added that it is also important for anyone in contact with infants to get a booster of the combined tetanus-diptheria-pertussis vaccine, known as Tdap.

"Because vaccination does not start until 2 months of life and is not completed until later, the best prevention also includes all contacts being vaccinated as well," he said. "This includes booster vaccines given every 10 years as Tdap, which has replaced the tetanus booster." 

The best way to prevent whooping cough is through vaccination. The childhood vaccine is called DTaP. Infants should receive a series of DTaP immunizations at 2, 4, and 6 months, with boosters at 15-18 months and 4-6 years. Children should then get a single dose of Tdap vaccine at 11 or 12. Boosters are required every 10 years to maintain efficacy.

"Achieving immunization rates greater than 95% is desirable to prevent the active transmission of vaccine-preventable diseases," Brice Mitchell, spokesman for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said in an email.

Kentucky's vaccination rates have fallen below that level.

 

Data from the School Immunizations Survey dashboard, which also includes data for each school, show that during the 2023-24 school year, 91% of the state's kindergarteners had received at least four doses of the DTaP vaccine; 85.6% of seventh graders had received at least one dose of Tdap; and 93.3% of 11th graders had received at least one dose of Tdap. 

All these rates have fallen since the Covid-19 pandemic; Kentucky seventh graders have had rates below 90% since the 2020-21 school year. 

The rates are even lower in the Kentucky Immunization Registry, which has vaccination data for residents of Kentucky counties aged 2, 6, 13, 17, and 65 or older. For 2022, the rates were:

• 2-year-olds with 4 or more doses of DTaP: 63.9%
• 6-year-olds with 4 or more doses of DTaP: 52.8%
• 13-year-olds with at least one dose of Tdap: 63.4%
• 17-year-olds with at least one dose of Tdap: 73.4%
• Adults 65+ with at least one dose of Tdap: 31.3%

The latest available statewide vaccination rate among pregnant women was also low, Mitchell said: "During the 2021-2022 respiratory virus season, Tdap vaccination rates were 45.8% among pregnant women nationally, and 42.6% in the South region, where Kentucky is located."

So far in 2024, 46 confirmed cases of pertussis have been reported in Kentucky. Of those 46 cases, 22 have been confirmed since April 1 in the following counties: Fayette (12), and 1 case each in Boone, Boyd, Clark, Clay, Floyd, Jefferson, Jessamine, Logan, Pulaski and Warren, according to data provided by the Kentucky Department for Public Health.

Cases of whooping cough (pertussis) increase in Kentucky

By Sarah Ladd
Kentucky Lantern

Kentucky is seeing an uptick in cases of pertussis, more commonly called whooping cough, a highly contagious respiratory illness.

The state Cabinet for Health and Family Services said in a Friday newsletter: “Recent cases have occurred primarily in Central Kentucky but cases are being seen throughout the commonwealth.”

Whooping cough can be a life-threatening illness and is most dangerous for babies, according to the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can, however, affect people of any age.

Whooping cough is highly contagious, according to the CDC. Vaccines are available to children as young as 2 months old and can help prevent it.

Early symptom onset to recovery can take around 12 weeks, according to the state Department for Public Health, which says symptoms of whooping cough include:

• Runny or stuffy nose
• Uncontrollable coughing
• Vomiting from coughing
• Fever below 100.4 Fahrenheit
• Apnea (life-threatening pauses in breathing) and cyanosis (turning blue or purple) in infants and young children

Three cases of whooping cough have been reported in Lexington high schools this year; the best defense is vaccinations

Two cases of whooping cough have occurred in less than a month at a Lexington high school, and another Lexington high school reported a case earlier this month.

Two cases were reported at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School and one at Frederick Douglas High School, reports Valarie Honeycutt Spears of the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Health officials told Honeycutt that this is the ninth confirmed case in Lexington in 2019 and the third for Fayette County schools for the 2019-20 school year.

Kentucky has had an estimated 164 confirmed cases of whooping cough in 2019, with the following counties having at least five cases this year: Boone, Bullitt, Fayette, Jefferson, Oldham and Warren. Those affected ranged from less than 6 months in age to 79, according to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

Whooping cough, known medically as pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory infection spread by coughing, sneezing or close contact. Infected people are most contagious up to about two weeks after the cough begins.

Early symptoms of whooping cough look like a common cold, including runny nose, sneezing, mild cough and low-grade fever. After one to two weeks, long coughing spells develop, which often occur in explosive bursts, sometimes ending with a high-pitched whoop and vomiting. This can go on for up to 10 weeks or more, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Pertussis is most dangerous for babies," says the CDC. "About half of babies younger than 1 who get the disease need care in the hospital."

Vaccination is the best way to prevent the spread of whooping cough, says the CDC. The childhood vaccine is calld DTaP. The whooping cough booster vaccine for adolescents and adults is called Tdap. Both vaccines protect against whooping cough, tetanus and dipthieria.

Infants should receive a series of DTaP immunizations at 2, 4, and 6 months, with boosters at 15-18 months and 4-6 years. Children should then get a single dose of Tdap vaccine at 11 to 12.

Pregnant women should receive a single dose of Tdap during every pregnancy, preferably at 27 through 36 weeks.

Parents of infants and anyone who provides care to an infant should also be immunized against whooping cough. It is recommended that the infant's family members receive a one-time dose of Tdap if they have not already done so.

And although the vaccine is effective, immunity tends to decrease over time, which is why the boosters are so important, says the CDC.

Health officials told Honeycutt that they are working with Fayette County Public Schools to make sure parents are aware of the threat of pertussis. They also recommend preventive antibiotics for high-risk students who were exposed.

High-risk students are those with a chronic illness or weakened immune system and those who live with a family member with a chronic illness or weakened immune system, an infant or a pregnant woman.

Honeycutt reports that school-age children with symptoms of pertussis should stay home from school and go see their health care provider, even if they have previously been vaccinated.  Students with probable or confirmed pertussis should remain out of school until they finish their antibiotics.

A county-by-county annual student immunization report shows that 93.5 percent of Kentucky's Kindergarten students have received four or more doses of the DTaP vaccine, with 60% of counties reporting 95% or greater compliance, which lines up with the Healthy People 2020 target measures.

The report found that 92.3% of the state's seventh graders had received one dose of the Tdap booster, with 92.5% of counties reporting 80% or greater compliance; 93.4% of 11th graders were up to date on their Tdap booster, with 92% of counties reporting 80% or greater compliance; and 94.2% of 12th graders had received one dose of the booster, with 95.7% of counties reporting 80% or greater compliance.  The Healthy People 2020 goal for the upper grades is 80% or greater for one dose of Tdap.

In Fayette County, 96.8% of its Kindergarten students are up to date on their whooping cough vaccine, as are 89.5% of its 7th graders, 92.5% of its 11th graders and 93.1% of its 12th graders

Last year in Kentucky, preliminary data shows that Kentucky had 193 cases of whopping cough, which is 4.33 cases per 100,000 people.

87 cases of whooping cough reported in Kentucky during the last five months of 2015; best prevention is vaccination

Health officials are reminding people to get vaccinated for whooping cough, formally called pertussis, noting that there were 87 cases reported in Kentucky between August and December last year, The Courier-Journal reports. The highest concentration of cases during that period occurred in Jefferson County and in Northern Kentucky.

Image from the CDC; click on it for a larger version

Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by bacteria transmitted by droplets from sneezing, coughing or close contact. Infected people are most contagious up to about two weeks after the cough begins.

Early symptoms of whooping cough look like a common cold, including runny nose, sneezing, mild cough and low-grade fever. After one to two weeks, long coughing spells develop, which often occur in explosive bursts, sometimes ending with a high-pitched whoop and vomiting. This can go on for up to 10 weeks or more, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Vaccination is the best way to prevent the spread of whooping cough, according to the CDC.

Whooping cough can cause severe or life-threatening complications in infants who are too young to have been fully vaccinated, making it especially important for those who care for them to be up-to-date on their immunizations.

"About half of babies younger than 1 year old who get pertussis need care in the hospital, and one out of 100 babies who get treated in the hospital die," says the CDC.

Infants are recommended to receive their first dose of pertussis vaccine, in combination with diphtheria and tetanus, at 2 months, 4 months and 6 months of age. Boosters are given as early as 12 months through 18 months and then around age 4 or 5. Older children and adults are encouraged to get a pertussis booster called TDaP.

“It’s important for communities to work together to control the spread of the disease,” Dr. Kraig Humbaugh, senior deputy commissioner at the state health department, told The Courier-Journal. “Developing community-wide immunity through vaccination is an important strategy for pertussis control. We strongly encourage those who haven’t done so to get an adolescent or adult pertussis booster vaccine.”

"Though anyone can get whooping cough, the illness can be particularly dangerous for pregnant women, infants younger than 12 months and anyone with a pre-existing health condition that could worsen with a severe cough," the Louisville newspaper reports.

More information about whooping cough can be found at www.cdc.gov/pertussis.

Northern Ky. health officials fight outbreak of whooping cough

Whooping cough is spreading in Northern Kentucky. The disease, formally known as pertussis, is mostly "being seen in school-aged youth, but whooping cough is concerning because of the risk of severe illness in infants under age 1," the Northern Kentucky Health Department reports.

The area has seen 31 cases of whooping cough since the start of November, "with 13 cases occurring in the last week of November alone," the department said in a news release. "Most of these cases have been in school age youth age 10 and over, although several cases have been reported in parents of school-aged children as well. Cases have been reported in Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton Counties. In comparison, the region had seven cases of whooping cough in all of November and December of 2014."

Dr. Lynne M. Saddler, director of the health agency, said, “This disease is one that spreads very easily through coughing and sneezing, so our concern is that families and friends will gather over the holidays and potentially infect one another. Plus, the early symptoms of whooping cough are similar to the common cold and whooping cough is not often suspected or diagnosed until more severe symptoms appear.”

The outbreak suggested that some children may not have had the required vaccination, which the department said is "the best way to prevent the spread of whooping cough. Parents of young children should make sure that their child has been vaccinated with DTaP, which includes vaccine for tetanus and diphtheria as well. The vaccine is usually given in five doses, administered at two months, four months, six months, 15 to 18 months and 4 to 6 years of age. A booster dose of Tdap is recommended for preteens at ages 11or 12. Vaccine protection fades over time; therefore adults and parents of teens age 10 years of age or older should ensure that Tdap vaccinations are up to date."

Saddler said, “Vaccination with a Tdap is especially critical for school teachers, pregnant women, parents, grandparents and caregivers for infants,” said Saddler. “Although vaccination protects most people against whooping cough, no vaccination is 100 percent effective. Some people who are fully vaccinated may still become infected and have a mild case of the illness. In those instances, it is still important for people who are ill to stay home and avoid contact with others.”

Early symptoms of whooping cough include runny nose, sneezing, low-grade fever and a mild cough. "After a week or two, a persistent cough develops which occurs in explosive bursts, sometimes ending with a high-pitched whoop and vomiting," the release said. "Individuals who have a cough lasting more than two weeks and/or one that progressively gets worse are advised to contact their health care provider for evaluation and avoid contact with others, especially infants, young children, the elderly, and the immunocompromised. If you live with someone who has been diagnosed with whooping cough, or have had prolonged close contact, contact your health care provider as well."

Kentucky has a statewide outbreak of whooping cough, perhaps because the child-immunization rate is declining

Kentucky is having a statewide outbreak of pertussis, also called whooping cough, Jennifer Wohlleb reports for the Kentucky School Advocate, the magazine of the Kentucky School Boards Association. This comes at a time when the immunization rate among Kentucky school children is declining.

At least 230 cases of whooping cough have been diagnosed so far this year, and there were more than 300 confirmed cases last year, Wohlleb reports.

“And those are just reported cases, and most of those are in children,” Kraig Humbaugh, director of the state Division of Epidemiology and Health Planning, told Wohlleb. “And young children are the ones most likely to have the severe consequences, including unfortunately, death."

Another childhood disease, measles, remains in check. Humbaugh told Wohlleb, "We haven’t seen a case of it this year, but almost all of our surrounding states have and there is currently a measles outbreak … with cases that have been imported from other countries.”

That's important to remember, Humbaugh said. “We live a global economy and every day, people can come here from other countries,” where illnesses like measles and polio are still an issue, she said. “Vaccines and immunizations are really, really important, but some people get really complacent because we don’t see them (these diseases) as much anymore, but they’re still a threat.”

During the 2013-14 school year, 81.7 percent of Kentucky sixth-graders received theTdap booster shot, which protect against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. That is below the national average of 84.6 percent. The state’s rate of childhood series immunizations has fallen to 72.7 percent in 2013 for 80.6 percent in 2011, according to the National Immunization Survey, Wohlleb reports.

Schools in Scott County and Hart County both had an outbreak last year and discovered that many of those getting whooping cough were at the age where they needed a booster or right before the age where they needed a booster, Wohlleb reports.

Local health departments help districts communicate with parents, and can provide them with crucial information about the course of an illness.

“Once (a student) is considered to be infectious, it would be recommended that they stay out of school until they have received five days of the appropriate antibiotic treatment, or 21 days from the onset of cough,” Sharon Ray of the Barren River District Health Department told Wohlleb. “So you can see, if we don’t find out about it until you’re three weeks into a cough illness, you’ve already been there your whole infectious period, so we can’t shorten your infection time; where if we know early, we may not keep that student from getting sick, but we may shorten their infectious time to others.”

Kentucky allows parents to exempt their children from vaccinations for medical or religious reasons; it does not allow philosophical exemptions. Humbaugh told Wohlleb that vaccines are "one of the greatest medical success stories of the 20th century," and said "fear and misinformation about vaccinations may be contributing to lower rates of immunizations in areas of the country. "

“I think one thing people fear are side effects of vaccinations,” Humbaugh, who is also a pediatrician, told Wohlleb. “I think the literature shows that certainly, and the 20th century will bear that out, the benefit of being vaccinated for childhood diseases is greater than the small risks associated with vaccinations. To me, vaccinations are like any other type of medication that you give, everything has risks; taking Tylenol has risks. But the risks are very low. These are in general safe, proven effective vaccines, all approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Whooping cough on the rise in Kentucky and nationwide

A resurgence of whooping cough in Kentucky and the nation has officials urging the public to get vaccinated. The state has already had 171 reported cases this year, making it "on track to beat our record from just two years ago," said Dr. Kraig Humbaugh, state epidemiologist with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced recently there have been 18,000 cases nationwide so far in 2012, double the number of confirmed cases at the same time last year. "At that pace, the number for the entire year will be the highest since 1959, when 40,000 illnesses were reported," Mary Meehan reports for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Washington and Oregon have been hit hardest. In Kentucky, Madison County has 24 cases. Estill County has 20, while the Northern Kentucky Health Department, which serves Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton counties, has reported 61 cases. In Lexington, there have been 15.

Whooping cough is spread by respiratory droplets transmitted person to person through close contact. It is sometimes characterized by a cough that ends with a high-pitched "whoop" sound during the next intake of breath. Immunization against the disease is required for school-age children, but many adults may not have gotten the vaccine or might need to get a booster shot. Officials urge them to do so. (Read more)