Whooping cough cases are continuing to rise in the United States, with new data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing that there are five times as many cases this year than at this point in time last year.

There’s growing concern about a highly contagious respiratory infection called pertussis, also known as whooping cough. New numbers from the CDC show there are five times as many cases this year than at this point last year.

Five times as many cases of the potentially fatal illness have been reported so far in 2024, compared with the same time last year.

Whooping cough cases have increased to record levels since 2014, with four times as many cases compared to last year, data from the CDC showed. There have been more than 16,000 cases this year alone and two confirmed deaths,

U.S. health officials say whooping cough is at its highest level in a decade for this time of year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that so far this year there have been about 18,