Kentucky Health Alert: Increase in Pertussis in Kentucky

Posted about 14 hours ago by Sherry Chandler

Kentucky health officials are alerting providers that cases of pertussis (“whooping cough”) have increased steadily across the Commonwealth in recent weeks. To date, 566 cases of pertussis have been reported in Kentucky in 2025, the highest number of cases in the Commonwealth since 2012. This follows a trend that was first announced in July 2024 when pertussis cases began increasing in Kentucky to levels not seen in over a decade. Health officials anticipate that pertussis will continue to increase during the winter months based on historic trends. Many U.S. states and other countries are also experiencing elevated levels of pertussis.
Many of the recent cases have occurred in young infants, and health officials also recently confirmed the third pertussis-related death in a Kentucky infant within the last year. This follows two other infant deaths that were announced in June. These are Kentucky’s first pertussis deaths since 2018. None of the infants nor their mothers received the recommended pertussis vaccinations during pregnancy or early infancy. Health officials urge all Kentuckians to remain up to date on recommended pertussis immunizations and emphasize the importance of maternal immunization during pregnancy, and for all infants beginning promptly at two months of age. Health officials also encourage providers to consider pertussis as a diagnosis in addition to circulating seasonal respiratory viruses such as influenza, RSV and COVID-19.

A significant number of cases have also occurred in school-aged children, many of whom were up to date on pertussis vaccination. Immunity from vaccination or natural infection wanes over time so infections can occur in people who are fully vaccinated. However, the vaccine is known to reduce disease severity, and hospitalization among vaccinated individuals is rare.

The Kentucky Department for Public Health encourages health care providers to:

Consider pertussis in children with respiratory infections and adults with persistent or violent coughs, in addition to circulating seasonal respiratory viruses.
Collect nasopharyngeal (NP) swab or nasal wash for pertussis testing via PCR or culture.
Report suspected or confirmed pertussis cases within one (1) business day to the local health department of the county in which the patient resides.
Ensure patients are up-to-date with routine pertussis vaccinations, particularly pregnant women and infants starting at two (2) months of age, as well as individuals with pre-existing health conditions that may be worsened by pertussis infection

Click here for full alert: KDPH Pertussis Health Alert_11.21.25