According to the latest local news reports, there has been a massive surge in cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) in Japan, a condition caused by a possibly fatal “flesh-eating” disease.
There were 801 cases of STSS reported by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan as of May 5 of this year – almost 200% increase in the number of infections reported during the same period last year.
Data also indicates that Japan has already recorded over 500 cases of STSS in the first three months of this year alone.
STSS, a syndrome with a mortality rate of up to 30%, occurs when the infection disseminates throughout the body. Experts have labeled the bacterium as ‘flesh-eating’ due to its ability to cause necrosis of limbs and multiple organ failures. The symptoms associated with STSS encompass a sore throat, fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and lethargy. Clinicians caution that infections can transpire through open wounds. Primarily, the virus impacts individuals in their thirties or above. Medics emphasize that the disease can prove fatal, particularly among the elderly.
According to medical experts, the cases in Japan are associated with a specific variant of group A Streptococcus known as M1UK. This particular strain is highly contagious and has been spreading rapidly across the globe in recent years, as indicated by data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) .
Local news sources have reported that the number of cases in Japan is increasing at a faster rate compared to the previous year. In 2020, there were 941 infected patients, marking the highest recorded figure in the country.
In March, the increase in STSS cases allegedly caused the North Korean soccer team to suddenly call off a World Cup qualifying match in Japan. The illness is not a respiratory disease such as pneumonia or COVID-19, therefore the likelihood of it causing a pandemic is low, according to the infectious diseases experts at Fujita Health University.
Japanese medical authorities are saying that the cause behind the rapid increase in infection rates remains unclear. However, experts have observed a rise in strep throat cases in Japan following the relaxation of anti-COVID measures.