Cases of whooping cough have risen in Mexico in recent months, according to an epidemiological alert issued by the National Committee for Epidemiological Surveillance (Conave) on Feb. 26. 

The number of cases rose from 153 in 2023 to approximately 443 in 2025, marking a 190% increase. During the first seven weeks of 2025, there were 120 confirmed cases and 460 suspected cases of the disease across 21 states. 

Brazil, the United States and Peru have also recorded cases of whooping cough above the typical yearly average.  

What is whooping cough? 

Whooping cough is a highly contagious acute respiratory infection caused by the Bordetella pertussis bacteria. It can take between seven and 10 days for the patient to show symptoms, which can then last up to six to eight weeks.  

During the first phase, patients typically experience cold-like symptoms such as a runny nose, nasal congestion, red eyes, fever and a cough.  

Patients may later experience more severe symptoms such as vomiting, extreme fatigue, violent and rapid coughing and blueing of the lips and tongue.

While adolescents and adults generally recover from whooping cough without any complication, the infection can affect babies more severely, particularly those under six months, restricting their breathing.  

How to prevent whooping cough?

Vaccines remain the main preventive measure against whooping cough. In Mexico, the acellular pentavalent vaccine is administered in four doses at two, four, six and 18 months of age. It also protects children against diphtheria, tetanus, polio and influenza type B. 

Conave recommends several measures to avoid the spreading of the disease, including frequent hand washing; avoiding touching your face with unwashed hands; avoiding close contact with people showing signs of sickness; not sharing personal items and covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.  

The organization recommends self-isolating in the case of infection.  

Cases of whooping cough in Mexico by state 

According to Mexico’s Health Ministry, the states with the highest number of confirmed cases in 2025 are:

• Nuevo León: 24 cases
• Mexico City: 13 cases
• Aguascalientes: 11 cases
• Oaxaca: 10 cases
• México state: 8 cases

Other states with reported cases include:

• Chihuahua: 7 cases
• Campeche, Hidalgo and Coahuila: 6 cases each
• Querétaro: 5 cases
• Morelos, Tamaulipas, Guanajuato and Jalisco: 3 cases each
• Durango, Yucatán, San Luis Potosí, Baja California and Veracruz: 2 cases each
• Guerrero and Sonora: 1 case each

To date, 11 states have zero confirmed cases of whooping cough, including Colima, Chiapas, Michoacán, Nayarit, Puebla, Quintana Roo, Sinaloa, Tabasco, Tlaxcala and Zacatecas.  

With reports from Milenio and W Radio México