State health officials reported Thursday that California is on track to break a 55-year record for whooping cough infections in an epidemic that has already claimed the lives of nine infants.

At least 4,017 cases of the highly contagious illness have been reported in California, according to the state. Data from the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control show 11,466 cases nationwide, though the federal numbers are known to lag behind local reporting.

Whooping cough is a cyclical illness that peaks in number of infections every five years. Symptoms are similar to the common cold, making it a challenge to diagnose, which in turn makes it difficult for officials to determine if the worst has passed, said Dr. Full Post…

Government research shows hard-to-treat staph infections caught in hospitals or through medical treatment are becoming scarcer.

The decline is in a federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report on methicillin-resistant staph, or MRSA (MUR’-suh). Full Post…