Annual Whooping Cough Cases More Than Double Previous Record; Preliminary Report Announces 43,728 Cases in 2025

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:36 JST, July 16, 2025

The Japan Institute for Health Security has announced that the preliminary cumulative number of whooping cough cases this year has reached 43,728.

This figure is significantly greater than the 16,845 cases recorded in 2019, which was previously the highest annual total, the institute said Tuesday. Whooping cough is known for causing severe coughing fits.