Japan's 39,672 Pertussis Cases Sets Record

The multi-year, global outbreak of pertussis (Whooping cough) cases has continued through the first half of 2025.

In Japan, pertussis has been a category V notifiable disease under the Infectious Diseases Control Law since January 2018. As of July 10, 2025, the Japan Institute for Health Security Infectious Disease Information website reveals that 39,672 pertussis cases were reported in 2025. 

This total surpasses the amount recorded in 2019, 16,845, and the 4,096 pertussis cases reported in 2024.

According to the U.S. CDC, pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory infection marked by severe coughing fits. It can lead to serious complications, including pneumonia and encephalopathy, and poses a potentially fatal risk to infants and other vulnerable individuals, such as pregnant women.

Since pertussis remains one of the leading causes of vaccine-preventable deaths worldwide, the CDC recommends that international travelers ensure they are immunized before visiting Japan in 2025.