Japan reports nearly 40,000 pertussis cases in first half of 2025
Health officials in Japan report 39,672 whooping cough, or pertussis cases since the beginning of the year, far eclipsing the approximately 4,000 cases reported in all of 2024.
Just in the latest week, June 23-29, a new weekly record of 3,353 cases were reported. Officials say since early April, the number of patients reported by hospitals and clinics across the country has been exceeding 1,000 a week.
13 prefectures have recorded more than 1,000 pertussis cases to date.
16,845 cases registered in 2019 was the record high for a year.
Whooping cough: Why are the rates on the rise again?
The country's health authorities are calling on the public to be aware of the highly contagious bacterial infection that causes severe coughing spells that experts say are most dangerous in infants and could result in death in the age group.
Whooping cough primarily affects children and can lead to severe complications such as pneumonia and encephalopathy, especially in infants. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare says that vaccinations are effective in preventing the disease.