The Delaware Division of Public Health is advising schools, communities and parents to be alert for whooping cough.
Health officials are clear - this isn’t a full blown outbreak or warning, but there were reports of whooping cough possibly being transmitted at some schools this month.
"There have been 13 cases year to date. This compares to 11 in 2025, 45 in 2024. So we haven't seen a big surge, but if we compare this to 2023, there was only one case," said Delaware Surgeon General Dr. Neal Hockstein.
Hockstein advises Delawareans that whooping cough or pertussis can be prevented with vaccination.
He describes symptoms you should look for.
"It starts out just like a mild cold. You could have a low grade fever, a stuffy nose, a runny nose, itchy or watery eyes, but over the course of a few weeks, you get this thick mucus that gives you coughing fits or spasms. And that's from which it gets its name. It turns into a high pitch cough, and it's like a cough that you can't stop,” said Hockstein. “Sometimes the coughing is so severe that people vomit."
Hockstein notes it can be worse for children because their airwaves are narrow, resulting in episodes where they can’t breathe and can even cause death in some cases.
He says the disease can resolve in six weeks or longer.
