Rates of the bacterial infection have gone up by 500% since last year, with babies and young children most at risk.

FILE - This 2016 illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based on electron microscope imagery, depicts Bordetella pertussis bacteria, which causes whooping cough.

Whooping cough is a respiratory infection caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis. It is characterized by intense coughing fits that can end with a “whooping” sound when someone exhales.

Preliminary data from the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention says the U.S. has seen 8,485 cases of whooping cough ...

What to know about whooping cough Whooping cough is a very contagious respiratory illness caused by a type of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. These bacteria attach to the cilia in the ...

FILE - This 2016 illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based on electron microscope imagery, depicts Bordetella pertussis bacteria, which causes whooping cough.

FILE - This 2016 illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based on electron microscope imagery, depicts Bordetella pertussis bacteria, which causes whooping cough.