Whooping cough cases have surged this year, hitting the highest levels recorded by the U.S. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention in a decade, CNN reports.

The CDC recorded six times more cases of whooping cough, a respiratory illness also known as pertussis, this year compared to last year, with 32,000 cases as of mid-December, the most since 2014. 

The disease typically causes low-grade fever, runny nose, and persistent cough that can develop into a more serious cough after a week, which can cause serious fits that force patients to vomit or even break their ribs.

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