Pertussis — a disease commonly referred to as whooping cough — is spreading quickly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns. The U.S. has seen five times more cases in 2024 than we did at this time last year.

Southwestern Pennsylvania is experiencing a whooping cough outbreak and the commonwealth leads the nation in newly reported cases.

The medical term for whooping cough is pertussis, which is a highly contagious bacterial infection that can be spread through coughing or sneezing.