Infections of bacteria causing violent coughing fits is rising in Kansas

TOPEKA (KSNT) - Kansas health officials are monitoring a spike in whooping cough cases around the state this year, marking one of the biggest increases in case numbers in nearly a decade.

27 News checked with Jill Bronaugh, spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), who said the agency has been monitoring a rise in pertussis, also known commonly as whooping cough, since the late summer of 2024. Whooping cough cases are increasing nationally, reaching near record numbers as the year comes to an end.