Japan is grappling with its most severe whooping cough epidemic in seven years, with cases surging across multiple prefectures. According to the Japan Institute of Health Security (JIHS), the country recorded 578 new cases in the week ending March 30 - an increase of over 100 from the previous week.
Hyogo Prefecture (36 cases), Okinawa (35), and Osaka (33) have become the hardest-hit regions, while Tokyo has reported 28 infections, including one fatal infant case. National totals for the first quarter of 2024 have already surpassed last year's full-year count, reaching 4,100 cases compared to 2023's 4,054.
Professor MIYASHITA Naoyuki from Kansai Medical University warned that whooping cough exhibits extreme contagiousness, with each infected person potentially spreading to 16 others - ten times more transmissible than influenza and comparable to measles.
Health experts note the disease initially presents cold-like symptoms but can progress to violent, months-long coughing spells strong enough to fracture ribs. Infants face a particular risk of respiratory failure and death. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare urges vaccination and basic precautions, including mask-wearing and hand hygiene, as containment measures.
The current outbreak marks Japan's most significant whooping cough crisis since 2017, when the nation recorded over 5,000 annual cases. Health authorities are monitoring for potential strain mutations that might reduce vaccine effectiveness.
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