The highly contagious illness marked by severe coughing pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is on the rise in Lancaster County according to local health officials.
Cases have seen a steady increase over the last six months, going from four (4) in September to 29 in February 2025 — an increase of 625%. The following data was provided by the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department:
“Whooping cough is another disease that we monitor very closely and we’ve seen a further uptick in cases in January and so far in February. We recommend people contact their health care provider if they have symptoms and stay current on whooping cough vaccine,” said Kerry Kernen, Health Director.
With the rise in whooping cough cases locally, providers continue to test for the disease. As more people develop symptoms and get tested, the Health Department continues to identify more cases in our community. Whooping cough cases have also increased in Nebraska and nationwide, according to public health data.
Whooping cough is spread through close contact when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Whooping cough can affect people of all ages but is most common in infants and young children and can be life-threatening especially for babies under a year old.
For more information on symptoms, prevention, and vaccination from whooping cough, visit cdc.gov/pertussis.