Dangerous Infection Spreading Through Michigan Faster Than Usual

With the change of seasons often comes pesky illnesses as our bodies adjust to a different environment.

On top of that, the perception of vaccines out of the COVID-19 pandemic has also made some illnesses more problematic than in the past.

As a result, Michigan is seeing more cases of a particular illness that could be more easily avoided. Nonetheless, according to an article from Newsweek, the spike in cases this year compared to last year has the FDA and CDC concerned.

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Nationally, cases of whooping cough, otherwise known as pertussis, has seen a drastic spike in cases in 2024. Last year, the nation saw 1,755 reported cases of whooping cough through the 21st week of the year. This year, national reports show 4,876 cases.

Michigan's cases correlate, as 2023 saw just 23 cases rise to 75 so far in 2024.

Michigan hasn't seen the largest spike - for example, Illinois has seen 389 cases compared to 60 last year. However, the numbers do speak to a concerning trend.

Further, Michigan was one of the 15 states (which doesn't include Illinois) to report a new case within the past week, which totaled 138 nationally. The Mid-Atlantic region of New York (excluding New York City) and Pennsylvania made up nearly half of those cases.

Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory infection common in school-aged children. However, it's particularly dangerous to infants and those with compromised immune systems. Complications for those individuals can range from pneumonia or seizure to even death.

Symptoms of whooping cough often begin with mild cold-like symptoms but progress to severe coughing fits which cause a "whooping" sound effect and can lead to vomiting and exhaustion.

Many are vaccinated against the infection at a young age, however, the vaccination wears off with time. Boosters are often an afterthought, however they can help prevent contracting the illness.