The number of whooping cough cases in Japan this year has surpassed 50,000 for the first time since comparable data became available in 2018, figures from a national health research institute showed Tuesday.
Courtesy of Japan Institute for Health Security, Kyodo News
Preliminary data from the Japan Institute for Health Security showed that the number of cases reported by hospitals and clinics across the country in the July 14-20 period reached 3,908, marking a record-high for the fifth consecutive week.
It brought the cumulative total to 52,490, topping the previous record of 16,845 cases in the whole of 2019.
A highly infectious bacterial disease, whooping cough, also known as pertussis, begins with cold-like symptoms and gradually progresses to severe coughing.
Infants are particularly susceptible to developing severe complications, such as pneumonia and encephalitis, which can prove fatal.