New York state health officials are reporting a rise in cases of pertussis, also known as whooping cough.
Suffolk County, N.Y., reported 108 cases in 2023, mostly in children, according to a Dec.30 news release.
A majority of those cases — 100 in total — have been reported since Nov. 28 alone, ABC News reported.
"With so many respiratory illnesses currently circulating, some for which there are no treatment, we wanted to make sure that parents know that pertussis, also called whooping cough, can be treated with antibiotics if diagnosed early," Suffolk County Health Commissioner Gregson Pigott, MD, stated in the release. "Whooping cough can be very serious for infants too young to be vaccinated, which is why we are alerting both medical providers and the public that this illness is circulating."
The department recommends clinicians implement early treatment for patients with pertussis, as well as preventative treatment with antibiotics for anyone who may have been exposed to someone infected with the virus.