Two babies in Kentucky have lost their lives to pertussis, also known as whooping cough, as recently reported by the Kentucky Department for Public Health. These deaths, the first pertussis-related since 2018, have refocused attention on a resurging danger once thought largely brought under control in America- vaccine-preventable illnesses.

With over 10,000 cases reported across the country in the first six months of 2025, close to twice as many as the same six months a year ago public health officials are warning an alarm. The epidemic, which tracks with trends in other diseases like measles, coincides with declining childhood vaccination rates, anti-vaccination sentiment, and pandemic-period interruptions of routine vaccination activities.

Whooping cough is a very contagious respiratory infection that is brought on by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis, originally described in 1906 by French scientists. Nevertheless, centuries ago, there were mentions of the illness—its earliest probable epidemic was seen in Paris in 1578.

The disease is notorious for its intense, hacking cough that is followed by a piercingly high-pitched "whoop" upon inhalation. In newborns, particularly those too young to be vaccinated, pertussis may cause lethal complications such as pneumonia, seizures, and respiratory distress. Some doctors call it "the 100-day cough" because its duration lasts for many weeks or even months.

According to the World Health Organization, pertussis still causes approximately 160,700 deaths annually in children under the age of five worldwide, a statistic that highlights the ongoing global burden of the disease, especially in settings with limited vaccine coverage.

The two infants who perished in Kentucky in the last six months were not vaccinated, and neither were their mothers while pregnant. These events highlight a key gap in protection that maternal vaccination seeks to close. Babies under 6 weeks are too young to get their first dose of pertussis vaccine, and so remain extremely exposed early in life.

Third-trimester maternal immunization allows for the passing on of protective antibodies to the newborn, protecting them until they are of age to start their own vaccine regimen. Without the added layer of protection, there is a marked increase in risk of severe illness or mortality.

Through June 2025, the U.S. has reported a minimum of 8,485 confirmed cases of pertussis, already passing the 4,266 cases reported for the same period in 2024. For 2024, as reported by the CDC, a combined total of 35,435 cases were reported—more than five times that of 2023 and close to twice that of 2019, the final year before the pandemic.

Kentucky alone has reported 247 cases of pertussis through 2025, after reporting 543 cases in 2024—the largest number in the state since 2012. Across the country, from October 2024 through April 2025, four deaths from pertussis have been reported: two infants, one school-age child, and one adult.

Why Are Whooping Cough Cases Increasing Again?

The return of pertussis in the United States is being fueled by a mix of related factors. One major cause is the cyclical pattern of the disease, since pertussis has epidemic patterns with episodes peaking every two to five years. Although such peaks are anticipated, experts note that the current peak is more severe compared to what is normally seen during normal peaks. Post-pandemic immunity gap is also a crucial factor. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic that occurred during 2020 and 2022, pertussis rates decreased significantly because of widespread public health interventions like masking, physical distancing, and closing schools. Since those measures are no longer in effect, numerous persons including children who were left unvaccinated or were missed during their periodic vaccinations since then are now at increased risk for infection. Adding to this problem is the decrease in vaccination coverage, driven by increased misinformation, increased skepticism about the vaccine, and interruptions in access to health care. That decline in immunization, especially in infants and pregnant women, is one of the most urgent priorities driving the national epidemic of pertussis.

How Effective Are Vaccines Against Pertussis?

The pertussis vaccine itself has changed dramatically over the years since it was first introduced in the U.S. in 1914.

Today's acellular form—DTaP for infants and children and Tdap for teens and adults—was introduced in the 1990s as a way to reduce side effects like seizures and high fevers that were caused by the older whole-cell vaccine. Although the acellular vaccine offers robust protection initially, the immunity fades with time. During the first year after completion of the five-dose course of childhood pertussis vaccination, some 98% of children are protected against pertussis.

By the fifth year after the last dose, however, that immunity declines to roughly 65%. This drop highlights the necessity of booster shots in young adulthood and adolescence to ensure sustained protection. While immunity from the current vaccine is not long-term, it still represents the best weapon against severe disease, complications, and mortality. The unvaccinated are 13 times more likely to develop pertussis compared to their vaccinated counterparts, and they have much greater risks of being hospitalized or killed by the disease.

Who Should Be Vaccinated, and When?

The CDC and other top public health organizations suggest:

Infants: Shots at 2, 4, and 6 months, with boosters at 15 months and 4 years.

Adolescents: A Tdap booster dose at 11 or 12 years.

Adults: One Tdap booster in adulthood, with re-vaccination every 10 years.

Pregnant Women: One dose of Tdap between weeks 27–36 of every pregnancy to confer immunity to the newborn through passive antibody transfer.

Local health departments might even suggest extra boosters for people who reside in outbreak-facilitating areas particularly on the West Coast, where states such as California, Washington, and Oregon have seen high case totals this year.

How Can You Protect Yourself and Your Family?

The increase in pertussis cases—and its disastrous effect on babies—underscores the necessity of public education, uniform messaging by health workers, and availability of immunization services. Parents and caregivers should be motivated to keep their own and children's vaccination schedules up to date, especially in communities where disease outbreaks are reported.

Clinicians have a key role in advising maternal immunization and informing families about the signs of whooping cough, which is likely to be confused with the common cold at its initial onset.

In a breakthrough widely hailed as a potential game-changer in the battle against HIV, scientists at Australia's Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity have made a discovery for a new method to expose the virus that lurks inside human cells. The innovative mRNA-based technology has the potential to lead the way to the long-desired cure for HIV—a condition that has infected millions worldwide and remains uncurable in spite of years of advances in medicine.

One of the biggest challenges to curing HIV is the virus's capacity to "hide" within some white blood cells. These viral reservoirs, which remain hidden, enable HIV to escape immune and antiretroviral detection. Despite medication possibly bringing the virus down to undetectable levels in the blood, latent HIV may persist within these cells and re-emerge, making patients a constant risk and requiring a lifetime of treatment.

Conventional therapies are able to suppress HIV replication but not eradicate these reservoirs. A cure has therefore been elusive—until now.

The mRNA Breakthrough

Building on the promise of mRNA technology, which made headlines worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers at the Doherty Institute developed a targeted delivery system based on lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver mRNA directly to HIV-infected white blood cells.

Injecting mRNA into these cells was previously impossible since these white blood cells do not easily take up the lipid nanoparticles commonly employed for mRNA delivery. The researchers overcame this obstacle by designing a new lipid nanoparticle—designed as LNP X—and these enigmatic cells readily take it up.

Once inside the cell, the mRNA tells the cells to make signals that effectively "unmask" the virus, rendering the concealed HIV detectable by the immune system and medicines.

Dr. Paula Cevaal, a research fellow at the Doherty Institute and co-first author of the landmark study published in Nature Communications, described the team’s reaction to their initial findings as one of disbelief and excitement. “We were overwhelmed by how much of a night and day difference it was—from not working before, and then all of a sudden it was working. All of us were just sitting gasping like, ‘wow’,” she told The Guardian.

The findings have been reproduced repeatedly in the laboratory with blood cells from HIV-infected donors. Although the research is still at the cellular level, the discovery represents an unprecedented breakthrough in HIV research.

How mRNA Technology Works For HIV?

mRNA technology works by providing genetic instructions to cells, which in turn trigger them to make specific proteins. This was successfully employed in COVID-19 vaccines, allowing cells to produce viral proteins that educate the immune system.

In this HIV study, the mRNA causes infected white blood cells to display markers that indicate the presence of the virus. Basically, it "awakens" latent HIV in the cells so that current immune defenses and antiretroviral drugs can detect and eliminate the infection.

This strategy tackles one of the fundamental problems of HIV treatment—the elusiveness of the virus in reservoirs—and may signal a shift in treatment strategies.

Why is There A Global HIV Burden and the Urgency for a Cure?

Globally, there are almost 40 million individuals infected with HIV, out of which about 1.2 million reside in the United States alone. The current therapy includes daily antiretroviral therapy (ART) to suppress the virus, avoiding evolution into AIDS and transmission. ART is not a cure and is lifelong, though.

For all the strides that have been made in treatment and prevention, HIV still kills an estimated one person per minute worldwide, UNAIDS data as of 2023 indicate. It also continues to cause new infections, which intensify the need for a final cure.

Additionally, HIV disproportionately impacts vulnerable populations. In the United States, gay and bisexual men contribute to approximately 67% of new infections, a reflection of ongoing disparities and the need for creative solutions.

Though the breakthrough is groundbreaking, it is important to emphasize that this study is in its early stages. The experiments to date have been carried out in the laboratory, in cells from patients but not within the human body.

Before patients can benefit from this potential therapy, the treatment will need to pass through extensive tests in animal models to determine safety and efficacy, followed by strictly controlled human clinical trials. These procedures take years.

Dr. Cevaal warns against premature hope, recognizing that numerous biomedical improvements fail to reach clinical use. But she is optimistic: "In HIV cure, we have never seen anything as good as the way we're doing now, in terms of how well we can uncover this virus."

The new lipid nanoparticle delivery system could be used for conditions such as HIV treatment, but beyond it. According to Dr. Michael Roche, co-senior author of the research from the University of Melbourne, the targeted white blood cells are found in other conditions, such as cancers. This presents potential for mRNA treatments to revolutionize therapy for a range of conditions.

This finding not only demonstrates the strength of advanced biomedical research but also restores hope that an HIV cure, previously considered impossible, is within reach.

India is witnessing a concerning surge in COVID-19 cases with active cases jumping over 5,364 as of June 7, as per the COVID dashboard, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The figure marks a sharp increase from only 257 active cases on May 22. More importantly, more than 50% of the new infections are in the 25-to-50-year age group the working population which has caused alarm among public health officials.

The number of new COVID-19 infections reported on a daily basis continues to slowly rise. On June 6, 564 cases were added in India, increasing the active caseload to 5,364. The number has now crossed 5,364, indicating an upward trend. Along with the increasing infections, at least seven fatalities were recorded within a 24-hour period, with the departed including those from West Bengal (4), Maharashtra (3), Delhi (2), Kerela (2) and Karnataka (3). All six of the seven deaths were older patients with comorbidities like diabetes, hypertension, or pneumonia. The youngest death was in a five-month-old male infant with pre-existing respiratory problems.

These new cases are caused, according to experts, by newly emerging subvariants such as LF.7, XFG, JN.1, and more recently identified NB.1.8.1. These variants are said to be more transmissible and have partial immune escape characteristics but, as of yet, have not shown increased disease severity.

Experts are seeing a trend towards mild to moderate symptoms, but the rate of infection is worrying as it is impacting the productive segment of the population and may stretch the healthcare machinery if not contained.

Kerala, Delhi, and Maharashtra Among Worst-Hit States

Kerala is still the hotbed of this new wave, with more than 1,487 active cases according to the latest report. Delhi (562), West Bengal (538), Maharashtra (526), and Gujarat (508) take second place. The Gujarat state has registered a high count of infections in the age group of 25-50 years, which has contributed to more than 50% of its 700+ total cases.

Surprisingly, officials also noted that around 10% of new cases in Gujarat were infants under the age of one. The elderly population, which bore the brunt of earlier waves, has seen relatively fewer infections in the current resurgence. This shift in demographic impact is being closely monitored by epidemiologists.

New COVID Symptoms To Note

In contrast to the previous waves where dramatic cases of anosmia (loss of smell) and ageusia (loss of taste) were observed, present patients are reporting a different constellation of symptoms. The most frequently reported symptoms are high-grade fever, intense muscle aches (myalgia), and gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea.

This wave clinically is presenting differently. Patients, particularly those in younger age groups, are presenting with intense body pains and fever instead of respiratory complaints.

Hospitalization Rates and Deaths

Whilst the figure of cases is rising, hospitalization rates continue to be fairly low — ranging at about 5%. Nevertheless, the seven recent deaths serve as a stark reminder of the risk posed to vulnerable groups. Ministry data show all victims had comorbidities such as seizures, respiratory failure, kidney disease, and cancer.

Three of the recent Gujarat fatalities included young women aged 18, 20, and 47, all from Ahmedabad. "This is not common and highlights the need to not ignore any symptoms," said a senior health official.

The Indian government has sent advisories to every state and union territory in order to be prepared. This involves keeping proper stocks of oxygen, antiviral drugs, and ICU beds. States have also been instructed to distinguish between COVID-19 and other viral fevers, which have common symptoms.

A ministry senior official observed, "We are calling for all states to be on their toes and to intensify surveillance, particularly in urban areas and public transport hubs."

Hospitals and clinics in major metros are keeping a lookout, with training and testing protocols of the staff being revised to account for the evolving clinical presentation of the disease.

Vigilance Needed Even With Vaccination Efforts

India has come a long way in COVID-19 vaccination with more than 2.2 billion doses given so far, but the new variants have again pushed to the forefront the question of booster doses, particularly among frontline workers and the elderly.

Vaccination is not a static shield. As the virus mutates, so should our immunity. It's important to remain current with booster doses if they are suggested.

Although hospitalization and serious cases are still low, the recent spurt in COVID-19 cases in India is a stark reminder of how unpredictable the virus has been. With variants spreading and attacking younger people, a joint effort through vigilance, prompt testing, booster vaccinations, and responsible public action is a must.

For the time being, health authorities keep a close watch on trends, advising people not to ignore mild symptoms and to follow basic precautions such as hand hygiene, wearing a mask in crowded places, and seeking a test when symptomatic.

A new strain of coronavirus discovered in China, known as HKU5-CoV-2, could be only a few mutations away from triggering the next deadly pandemic, say American scientists. The virus was identified by researchers at Washington State University (WSU). The researchers have said that it shares close genetic similarities with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)—a highly lethal virus that kills nearly a third of those it infects. The findings have raised serious concern in the global scientific community.

A Close Cousin of MERS

MERS, which emerged in 2012 and has caused sporadic outbreaks primarily in the Arabian Peninsula, is known for its severe respiratory symptoms and high mortality rate. HKU5-CoV-2, the new virus under scrutiny, belongs to the merbecovirus family—a group of viruses that includes MERS. While not yet known to infect humans, scientists warn that a minor genetic mutation could allow it to do so, raising the possibility of another global health emergency similar to COVID-19.

“This virus may be only a small step away from being able to spill over into humans,” said Professor Michael Letko, a virologist at WSU and co-lead author of the study.

What the Study Found

The study focused on how HKU5-CoV-2 interacts with human cells. Originally found in bats, this virus was identified by Chinese scientists from the same lab some speculate may have been linked to the origins of COVID-19. In the new study, WSU researchers examined the virus's ability to bind to human ACE2 receptors—proteins located in the nose, mouth, and throat that serve as entry points for coronaviruses.

Using advanced cryo-electron microscopy, researchers captured detailed images of the virus's spike protein, revealing that key segments of the spike often remain “closed.” This closed structure typically makes infection harder—but not impossible.

The team observed that while human cells generally resist infection from HKU5-CoV-2, the virus could latch onto human ACE2 receptors if specific mutations occur. These mutations could enable the virus to enter human cells more effectively, increasing its potential to cause disease.

Risks from Intermediate Animal Hosts

Another concern is the possibility of the virus mutating in intermediate animal hosts, such as mink or civets, before jumping to humans. Such transmission chains have been seen in other coronavirus outbreaks, including both SARS and MERS. If HKU5-CoV-2 were to infect these animals, it might gain the ability to infect humans more efficiently, scientists warn.

“Viruses that are already this close to MERS in structure and function are definitely worth monitoring,” Letko emphasized.

Lineage 2 and Immediate Threats

Earlier in 2025, researchers in Wuhan reported that one strain of HKU5—Lineage 2—already shows the ability to bind to human ACE2 receptors without further mutation. This suggests that some forms of the virus may already be equipped to infect humans.

Building on that discovery, the WSU team expanded their research to look at the entire merbecovirus family. Their findings indicate that several other strains, not just Lineage 2, may only require minimal changes to become capable of infecting humans.

Vigilance Needed

As the world continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists stress the importance of ongoing surveillance and pre-emptive research into emerging viruses like HKU5-CoV-2. Even if they cannot yet infect humans, understanding their structure and behavior is crucial for early intervention.

"The lesson from COVID-19 is clear—we cannot afford to ignore even small viral threats," Letko concluded.