A rare and fatal sickness produced by a “flesh-eating” bacteria is quickly spreading throughout Japan, notably in Tokyo.
Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) is a severe illness that can kill within 48 hours after infection.
Tokyo alone recorded 145 incidents during the first half of 2024. According to a report by the local daily Asahi Shimbun, the bulk of cases involve individuals over the age of 30, and the fatality rate has hovered around 30%.
As of June 2, STSS cases countrywide had reached 977, exceeding last year’s total of 941 cases, according to Japan’s National Infectious Disease Institute.
Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a common cause of “strep throat” in youngsters, which produces swelling and soreness.
However, some strains of this bacteria can cause severe and fast-increasing symptoms such as limb pain and swelling, fever, and low blood pressure. These symptoms may progress to necrosis, breathing problems, organ failure, and even death. People over the age of 50 are more vulnerable to these serious consequences.
“Most of the deaths happen within 48 hours,” Ken Kikuchi, an infectious diseases professor at Tokyo Women’s Medical University, told Bloomberg. “As soon as a patient notices swelling in the foot in the morning, it can expand to the knee by noon, and they can die within 48 hours.”
At least five European countries reported to the World Health Organization a rise in instances of invasive group A streptococcus (iGAS) illness, which includes STSS, in 2022.
According to the WHO, the increase in instances occurred after the COVID limits were lifted.
According to Kikuchi, if the present infection rate continues, the number of cases in Japan might approach 2,500 this year, with a “terrifying” 30% fatality rate.
