Whooping cough, rabies, syphilis and strep.

These are some of the infectious diseases on the rise in Champaign County over the past six years, public health district records show.

Rabies cases went from 9 reported cases in 2018 to 58 in 2024, for example. For some diseases, the numbers have gone down but still remain high.

Cases of chlamydia dropped from 657 in 2023 to 560 last year, and cases of gonorrhea went from 224 to 172. Both diseases only have data reported for the last two years. 

As sweeping federal cuts to healthcare funding take effect, Illinois health officials are concerned with how the cuts will affect programs aimed to track and fight disease.

Federal and intergovernmental funds make up the largest portion of revenue for the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. In 2024, the district received $17,122,420 in government funds for a variety of programs, the top two being Maternal and Child Health and Teen and Adult Services.

Julie Pryde, public health administrator for the district, warned that shifting resources away from effective programs could have dire consequences in an interview on March 10. 

“The proposed cuts will not save any money — it will transfer the costs of prevention to the much more expensive costs associated with no prevention!” she said. “Right now we are very concerned about the cuts and changes at the CDC, FDA, NIH, etc. This will impact everything we do.” 

Pryde said in March that the district has not received information about what programs will be impacted yet.

Pryde expressed concerns about potential funding reductions, stating, “HIV is especially concerning as we have been making such great strides in the U.S. at ‘Getting to Zero.’”

Reported whooping cough and strep cases surge

A review of local morbidity data from 2018 to 2024 reveals a significant rise in reported disease cases in the Champaign-Urbana region. Highlights according to the latest records from the public health district include: 

• Pertussis (whooping cough) showed a sharp rise, jumping from 6 cases in 2018 to 31 in 2024.
• Flu (Influenza) cases requiring ICU admission have fluctuated, with 22 reported cases in 2018, zero reported cases in 2021 and 9 in 2024. 
• Hepatitis C, a chronic viral infection that often requires long-term treatment, has remained persistent although cases are dropping, with 55 reported cases in 2018 and and 27 reported cases in 2024.
• Strep throat (Streptococcal) infections rose from 6 cases in 2018 to 19 in 2024.
• Salmonellosis, a bacterial infection caused by Salmonella, had 23 reported cases in 2018 and 34 reported cases in 2024. 

When asked about how these cuts might affect the district’s ability to combat rising STD rates, Pryde said the health district’s outreach efforts have been critical in identifying asymptomatic cases and ensuring proper treatment. 

“It is concerning that funding could be limited to Illinois because we provide evidence-based, medically-accurate, comprehensive sexuality education,” she said. “In the past, funding has been shifted to the ineffective ‘abstinence-only, until marriage’ programs. We will not provide ineffective programming.”

Teen and Adult Services received $4,033,711 in federal funding in 2024, the district’s audit shows. These services include STD prevention and treatment, comprehensive sexual health education and outreach programs aimed at reducing the spread of infectious diseases like HIV, syphilis, and gonorrhea. 

Maternal and Child Health programs received $3,712,639 in federal funding in 2024. These services support prenatal care, infant health initiatives and maternal wellness, ensuring access to essential healthcare for mothers and young children.

“C-UPHD will continue to serve ALL clients, including those who are transgender,” Pryde said. “We are concerned at everything that weakens the science that we all rely on (vaccinations, firing competent staff such as those in the Epidemic Intelligence Service, false information being spread, cancelling ACIP meeting, federally funded research projects, etc.)”

This data coincides with broader national trends where infectious diseases have surged due to a combination of factors, including limited access to preventive healthcare, decreased vaccination rates and evolving bacterial and viral strains. 

If public health resources are reduced, essential services like HIV prevention, hepatitis C treatment and routine vaccinations could become harder to access, increasing health risks for vulnerable communities.