"Whooping cough is on the rise in the Inland Empire, where Riverside and San Bernardino county officials say numbers are up from previous years. Whooping cough cases have tripled in San Bernardino County, compared to last year, a Thursday, Jan. 8, county news release states. The county had a reported 47 infections in 2025, and no deaths, Francis Delapaz, a San Bernardino County spokesperson, said in a Friday, Jan. 9, email. In 2024, it saw 15 cases."
"In Riverside County, Riverside University Health System Public Health has also seen numbers increase since last year. The county reported 71 cases in 2025, up from 49 cases the previous year. Data on reported deaths in the county were not immediatley available, a Riverside County spokesperson said in a Friday, Jan. 9, email. Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory infection that spreads easily from person to person through respiratory droplets."
"The illness primarily affects children younger than 10 years old, with approximately half of the 2025 cases in the Inland Empire representing children 10 years of age and below. Symptoms, which can last up to 10 weeks, may include: Runny or stuffy nose Low-grade fever (less than 100.4F) or no fever High-pitched whoop sound while breathing in after coughing Vomiting during or after coughing fits Fatigue after coughing fits Difficulty sleeping"
Whooping cough increased markedly in the Inland Empire in 2025, with San Bernardino reporting 47 cases (up from 15 in 2024) and Riverside reporting 71 cases (up from 49). Approximately half of 2025 cases were in children 10 years old and younger. Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory infection spread by respiratory droplets, and symptoms can persist up to ten weeks, including runny or stuffy nose, low-grade or no fever, high-pitched whoop, vomiting after coughing, fatigue, sleep difficulty, and breathing struggles. No deaths were reported in San Bernardino in 2025. Contributing factors include return to pre-pandemic behaviors, vaccination gaps, natural disease cycles, and wider disease spread.
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