Whooping cough cases are continuing to surge in Japan.



The Japan Institute for Health Security says medical institutions across the country reported 2,176 cases in the week through April 27, up 292 from the previous week.



The number of patients per week was the highest since the current method of record keeping began in 2018. It broke the previous record for five weeks in a row.



The cumulative number of patients since the start of the year was 11,921, more than double the total count last year.



In a breakdown by prefecture, Tokyo and Fukuoka had 142 patients, Niigata had 132, Hyogo 110, and Osaka 105.



Whooping cough is an infectious bacterial disease characterized by intense and persistent coughing, especially among children. It can be fatal for infants up to six months old.



Amid the growing number of patients this season, cases have been reported of unvaccinated infants becoming severely ill or dying. There are also reports of cases that are resistant to conventional antibacterial drugs.



The Japan Pediatric Society is urging parents to have their infants vaccinated as soon as they turn two months old.