ISTANBUL 

Japan has recorded 52,490 cases of whooping cough since the beginning of 2025, a record since data became available in 2018, Kyodo News reported Tuesday.

It far surpassed the previous record of 16,845 cases in all of 2019, according to data from a national health research institute.

Whooping cough cases in the week from July 14 - 20 hit 3,908, a record for the fifth consecutive week, figures from Japan Institute for Health Security showed.

The highly contagious respiratory infection, which is also known as pertussis, is 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.

A separate health concern has emerged as 16 people have died and 10,804 have been hospitalized for heatstroke in Japan for seven days from July 21, according to Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management.

As temperatures climbed nationwide, the number of heatstroke cases marked the highest weekly figure of the year, with temperatures topping 35°C (95°F) on Tuesday across 318 observation points throughout Japan.