WYOMING — Wyoming Health Department (WDH) officials expressed concern about an ongoing, active spread of pertussis (also known as whooping cough) in a news release issued Wednesday.
So far this year, 26 cases of pertussis have been confirmed in the state, with about two-thirds of the reported cases located in Fremont County. Other cases have been reported in Albany, Campbell, Converse, Natrona and Park counties this year. In 2025, the state saw 148 reported cases, the highest case number since 1951. Last year, cases were present in 14 counties, including Teton, WDH confirmed to Buckrail.
“We are continuing to see outbreaks and high monthly case counts,” WDH Vaccine-Preventable Disease Epidemiologist Kaylyn Friesen said in the release.
According to WDH, pertussis is a contagious respiratory illness that often begins with cold-like symptoms including a mild cough before progressing to a persistent cough with spasms after 1 to 2 weeks. Afflicted infants and children are known to “cough violently and rapidly with a loud ‘whooping’ sound,” per the agency. Because the illness can resemble a cold, actual pertussis case numbers are likely higher due to patients not recognizing and reporting the real issue.
“One-third of infants less than 1 year of age who become ill with pertussis need to be hospitalized, and we know, in some cases, it can be deadly for these babies,” said WDH State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist. “Pertussis in the youngest babies can cause them to have pauses in breathing. Infants are simply more vulnerable and don’t yet have all the protection pertussis vaccines offer.”
Harrist emphasized that the Tdap adolescent/adult pertussis booster vaccine is important for people in proximity to new infants, including parents, grandparents and other caretakers. She also recommended the vaccine to women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, as it can help protect newborns. She noted that people who get pertussis after being vaccinated are “less likely to have a severe experience.”
Learn more about the illness and find resources on the WDH website.
