Key points
- Pertussis (whooping cough) is common in the United States, with frequent outbreaks.
- Protecting people at highest risk of serious illness is the primary focus during outbreaks.
- Health departments take the lead during outbreak investigations.
Settings and trends
Whooping cough is an endemic (common) disease in the United States. There are peaks in reported cases of whooping cough every few years.
Outbreaks of this contagious respiratory illness are frequent. They can occur in many different settings including:
- Schools and childcare centers
- Hospitals
- Large geographic areas
Identifying whooping cough outbreaks
Whooping cough outbreaks can be difficult to identify and manage for many reasons, including:
- Cases of whooping cough may go unreported
- Other respiratory bacteria and viruses often cause similar symptoms
- Other bacteria and viruses can spread at the same time
Active screening
Public health officials may consider active screening for potential whooping cough cases in common settings during an outbreak. The main goals of active screening are to:
- Reduce exposure to people with whooping cough
- Encourage timely medical evaluation and treatment
- Promote prompt use of preventive antibiotics as appropriate
Protecting those at highest risk of serious illness
During outbreaks, public health authorities focus on protecting those at highest risk of serious illness.
Key strategies focus on vaccination and preventive antibiotics for these high-risk groups and people who are around them.
A second goal is to protect all other people from getting whooping cough. CDC recommends whooping cough vaccination for people of all ages.
Resources
Posters, fact sheets, and videos
Communication and print resources about whooping cough
Preventive antibiotic use
For health professionals: Postexposure antimicrobial prophylaxis