After easing the restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, a disease caused by a rare "flesh-eating bacteria" has spread in Japan, which can kill people within 48 hours. Cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) have reached 977 this year by June 2nd, higher than the record number of 941 cases reported throughout last year, according to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, which has been tracking the disease since 1999.
While Group A Streptococcus (GAS) generally causes swelling and inflammation in the throat in children, known as "strep throat," some types of the bacteria can lead to rapid development of symptoms, including limb pain and swelling, fever, and low blood pressure, which can be followed by necrosis, breathing problems, organ failure, and death. People over the age of 50 are most at risk of contracting the disease.
Ken Kikuchi, a professor of infectious diseases at Tokyo Medical University, explained that "most deaths occur within 48 hours." He added, "Once a patient notices swelling in their foot in the morning, it can extend to the knee by afternoon, and the person can die within 48 hours." He also noted that "at the current rate of infections, the number of cases in Japan could reach 2,500 this year, with a terrifying mortality rate of 30%." Kikuchi urged people to maintain hand hygiene and treat any open wounds.
Other countries have recently witnessed outbreaks of the disease. In late 2022, at least five European countries reported to the World Health Organization an increase in cases of invasive streptococcal disease (iGAS), which includes STSS. The World Health Organization stated that the rise in cases occurred after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.
