TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Tainan's Public Health Bureau (衛生局), a local health authority in southern Taiwan, reported on Wednesday (June 25) the city's second pertussis case of 2025 — also known as whooping cough or the 100-day cough, is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable bacterial disease. Officials identified the patient as a woman in her 50s who began experiencing symptoms in early June and received her diagnosis on Tuesday. Health authorities confirmed that medical treatment has already begun to improve her condition.
Health officials revealed the woman has an underlying chronic medical condition that complicated her case. According to the bureau's report, her illness manifested initially as a persistent cough severe enough to interrupt her sleep patterns, leading her to visit a local clinic where treatments proved ineffective. The patient subsequently sought care at a hospital where diagnostic tests confirmed pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough. Public health workers have completed contact tracing and administered preventive antibiotics to four family members living with the infected individual.
The Health Bureau explained that Bordetella pertussis, the bacterium responsible for the highly contagious respiratory disease, primarily transmits through airborne droplets expelled during coughing or sneezing. Health experts note that adults and older children frequently serve as unwitting carriers, showing minimal or no symptoms while potentially spreading the infection. For adults who do develop symptoms, these typically manifest as prolonged, violent coughing episodes that can significantly interfere with daily activities and sleep patterns. Officials stressed that patients generally cease being contagious approximately five days after beginning appropriate antibiotic treatment.
Health authorities issued a stark warning about the disproportionate danger pertussis poses to infants, who face significantly elevated risks of life-threatening complications. These complications can include pneumonia, breathing cessation (apnea), dangerous oxygen deprivation (hypoxia), seizures, and in severe cases, death. The bureau emphasized that widespread vaccination continues to be the primary defense against pertussis outbreaks, with immunization programs playing a crucial role in limiting transmission. Officials particularly highlighted the importance of pregnant women receiving booster shots to provide passive immunity to newborns during their most vulnerable period before they can receive their own vaccinations.