Health Japan reports record weekly surge in whooping cough cases

Japan has recorded its highest weekly number of whooping cough cases since tracking began in 2018. Whooping cough (百日咳 Hyakunichizeki, "100-day cough" in Japanese), a contagious bacterial infection characterised by intense, prolonged coughing, poses a serious risk to infants under six months old and can be life-threatening. The Japan Institute for Health Security reported that 3,353 cases were nationwide during the week ending 29 June, an increase of 142 from the previous week.

By prefecture, Tokyo had 234 cases, followed by 229 in Saitama, 163 in Kanagawa, 154 in Ibaraki and 140 in Niigata. The total number of cases in Japan this year stands at 39,672. There have been reports this season of infants dying or becoming seriously ill. Up to the end of June, four infants aged between less than one month and four months were confirmed dead in four prefectures. There are also reports of infections involving drug-resistant bacteria.

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More than 31,000 people have caught whooping cough in Japan in 2024, a nearly eight-fold rise from last year that has already surpassed the annual record-high number logged in 2019.

Wife thinks her sister, sis's husband, niece, and so on had this thru May-June. Hyaku-nichi-zeki / 百日咳,百日ぜき.