In 2024, the number of cases of whooping cough increased by more than 1,000% compared to the previous year, reaching the highest level since 2015. The states of Paraná, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and the Federal District concentrate most of the registrations, while other regions of the country, such as in the Northeast, they did not register any cases.
Whooping cough, a highly contagious respiratory disease, is showing exponential growth in the number of cases in Brazil in 2024. It was once considered controlled in Brazil, but is once again a concern for public health.
The most recent data from the Ministry of Health reveals that, in ten months of 2024, there has already been an increase of more than 1,000% compared to the 12 months of 2023, with more than 2,400 cases confirmed to date.
Find out the causes, symptoms and treatments for whooping cough .
Geographic distribution of cases
The geographic distribution of pertussis cases in Brazil is quite uneven. The states of Paraná, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and the Federal District account for most of the records, with Paraná leading the ranking. See which states have the highest incidence:
- 1st Paraná: 823 cases
- 2nd São Paulo: 665 cases
- 3rd Minas Gerais: 286 cases
- 4th Rio de Janeiro: 216 cases
- 5th Federal District: 130 cases
On the other hand, the states of Maranhão, Piauí, Amapá, Sergipe and Paraíba did not record any cases of the disease in 2024.
Epidemiological profile, lethality and incidence coefficient
The epidemiological profile of pertussis in Brazil reveals that the disease mainly affects the white population (48%), followed by the brown population (33%). It is important to highlight that 15% of cases do not have information about race/color.
The lethality of the disease is the highest since 2019, reaching 0.45% of notifications. Between 2021 and 2023, the country did not record any deaths from the disease. The highest rate of the disease in the last ten years was in 2014, when the infection killed 1.4% of cases.
The pertussis incidence rate per 100,000 inhabitants also showed a significant increase in 2024, reaching the highest value since 2015. This indicator demonstrates the intensity of the virus circulation in the population.
This content was originally published in Pertussis cases grow more than 1000% in 2024 in Brazil on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
