MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota is seeing the highest number of whooping cough cases in eight years. 

The state health department reports more than a thousand cases of the respiratory infection so far this year. Last year, there were only 61 cases. 

Of the more than 1,019 cases of whooping cough this year, the latest numbers from the Minnesota Department of Health show the vast majority — about 37% — are in Hennepin County.

Meanwhile, the University of Minnesota has fewer than ten reported cases. This week the university sent a message to students with how to protect themselves.

“Every few years, I’d say six to eight years, we do see an uptick in the whooping cough rates,” said Dr. Liz Placzek, a pediatrician and medical director at Children’s Minnesota’s West St. Paul clinic. “And this happens to be that year.”

She said the illness can begin like a cold, but the difference is that whooping cough is a cough that is going to persist, and going to worsen.

The only way whooping cough is treated is with antibiotics. If it goes untreated, it can cause pneumonia, infections, and even death.

While the whooping cough vaccine is given during childhood, Placzek says adults should be getting a booster every ten years. 

“We see it really in people who are a little bit removed from their last dose of that vaccine that their immunity probably waned a little bit and so they’re more succeptable to getting that infection,” said Placzek. 

While the majority of cases have been in vaccinated individuals, Victor Cruz, a senior rpidemiologist with the Minnesota Department of Health, says the vaccine can still lower symptom length and severity.

“The rates of hospitalization in Minnesota are very very low,” Cruz said. “Due to mainly vaccination and also good treatment and identification of cases by health care providers.”

Placzek said being proactive is key to lowering infection numbers.

“Cover your cough, wear your mask, know good hand hygiene,” she said. 

She also said to reach out to your doctor or your child’s pediatrician if you have questions about their vaccination status. 

The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

• With Jed Hoyer in the last year of his contract, how aggressive will the Cubs be this offseason? Also, with so many top 100 prospects nearing the majors, how will that impact their offseason decisions? (10:10)
• What is the feeling about the Orioles possible spending this offseason? Is there a sense of what could happen or is more wait-and-see in the inside baseball world? (26:55)
• What do the Rangers need to do in this offseason in order to be competitive next year.  Any specific players they need to target? (32:45)
• Willson Contreras seems like a logical fit for the Blue Jays if the Cardinals decide to move him. Only problem might be the return since the Cardinals want to shed money. Would this be likely? (34:55)
• The Padres have spent significant resources to build its current roster, but the World Series title continues to elude them. With potential payroll issues looming, how do they maintain their success for 2025 and beyond? They have a good lineup and great bullpen, but how do they avoid being worse in 2025? (39:50)

Check out our past episodes!

• Previewing FA Starting Pitchers, TV Deals, And Potential Spending Teams – listen here
• Buster Posey Takes Over In SF And The Cardinals’ Succession Plan – listen here
• Final Days In Oakland, The Surging Tigers, And If The Nats Will Pursue Juan Soto – listen here

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

The Wild goalie gloved down a slap shot from the neutral zone from Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich. He then immediately put the puck down at his stick, dropped to a knee, and sent a shot through the air all the way into the offensive zone, where it rolled into the net with nine seconds remaining in the third period for the 4-1 final.

“They took a time out there with 30 seconds left or something and ‘Flower’ [Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury] looked up at the board and said, ‘You should probably try it if you get the chance,’” Gustavsson said. “He said, ‘You’re shooting, right?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, maybe I should.’

“Coaches usually get mad if you try it with a one-goal lead and it becomes icing if you miss it, so up (3-1), if I get the chance, I’ll try it.”

Gustavsson is the 15th NHL goaltender to have been credited with a goal. The last was Tristan Jarry with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 30, 2023, against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Wild coach Jon Hynes was coach of the Nashville Predators when Pekka Rinne scored a goalie goal against the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 9, 2020.

“It was one of my first couple games in Nashville,” Hynes said. “It was almost very similar to Gus’s. It was a 6-on-5 situation and they kind of dumped it in on the goalie and he had time to do it. Both guys, you could tell they were going for it. Great to see.”