The 2024 Pertussis Outbreaks in the United States: A Call for Increased Public Health Preparedness

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is an infection of the respiratory system, characterized by inflammation of the lungs and airways, and is caused by Bordetella pertussis. Studies suggest that pertussis is highly contagious, affecting around 90% of individuals exposed to the pathogen in the household and 50-80% of individuals exposed to it in schoolrooms. In 1934, the United States (U.S.) reported around 265,000 pertussis cases, which decreased to about 7,000 cases in 2023; however, the U.S. witnessed a five-fold increase in reported pertussis cases in 2024. Therefore, this paper outlines possible factors contributing to the surge in pertussis cases, lays out evidence-based effective approaches and preventive measures to curtail future pertussis and, possibly, other air-borne disease outbreaks, and provides ethical arguments for adopting the initiatives/changes recommended herein.