Brazil: Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Cases Soared in 2024 Reaching Highest Level in Nine Years

In 2024, Brazil recorded the highest number of pertussis cases in the last nine years, according to data from the Ministry of Health. Notifications of the disease increased by 2,702% compared to 2023, with 5,998 confirmed cases, compared to just 214 in 2023.




Data from the Ministry of Health panel indicate that Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, and Minas Gerais led the percentage increases in pertussis cases between 2023 and 2024. In Paraná, for example, the number of reported cases increased from 16 in 2023, to 2,423 in 2024, representing exponential growth.

In 2024, Brazil again recorded deaths from pertussis, totaling 27 deaths. The last record of death from the disease occurred in 2020, when only one fatal case was reported. Most deaths occurred in babies under one year of age, an age group in which whooping cough is considered particularly serious.

The Health Departments of Paraná and Santa Catarina assess that the growth in the number of cases may be related to the cyclical nature of the bacteria's circulation. They also mention as a hypothesis for this surge in cases the resumption of social interactions after the COVID-19 pandemic combined with lower vaccination coverage.

The US CDC reports that whooping cough cases are on the rise in America.




Sources:

https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/equilibrioesaude/2025/01/numero-de-casos-de-coqueluche-dispara-em-2024-e-apresenta-maior-patamar-em-nove-anos-no-pais.shtml

Archived:

https://www.archivebuttons.com/articles?article=https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/equilibrioesaude/2025/01/numero-de-casos-de-coqueluche-dispara-em-2024-e-apresenta-maior-patamar-em-nove-anos-no-pais.shtml

https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/outbreaks/index.html