Japan grapples with a surge in cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS), a rare but deadly bacterial infection, with 1,019 documented cases and 77 deaths since January 2024, according to the Washington Post.
According to the Washington Post, health experts are concerned about the recent surge in rare but deadly bacterial illness cases in Japan.
The Japanese Health Ministry has documented 1,019 instances of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS), a bacterial infection that is treatable with medicines but lacks a vaccine, since January 2024. These STSS infections have been linked to at least 77 deaths, the majority of which have been seen in adults over 50.
The Health Ministry of Japan officials stated that they are not clear what has caused the unexpected rise in instances. However, given that there were less than 1,000 instances of STSS documented in the nation in 2023, they find the spike concerning.
STSS causes and symptoms
The CDC states that group-A Streptococcus (GAS) bacteria are the cause of STSS.
Since this particular bacteria is frequently found in the throat and on the skin, it also causes minor infections like strep throat.
However, according to the CDC website, if GAS enters a person’s bloodstream or tissue through open wounds or sores, their organs may begin to fail within 24 to 48 hours. Necrotizing fasciitis, an infection that results in a “flesh-eating” illness, has also been connected to GAS.
Three out of ten patients who develop STSS are expected to pass away, according to the CDC.
Chills, fever, and aches in the muscles are typical flu-like symptoms that appear first in patients with STSS. The following are more severe signs of organ failure brought on by STSS:
- Low blood pressure signs include dizziness, blurred vision, weakness, nausea, and headaches.
- An abnormally rapid heart rate
- Abnormally rapid breathing
The CDC advises anyone experiencing these symptoms to see a hospital straight away.
Antibiotics and replacement of body fluids are standard treatments. The CDC states that in certain situations, surgery may be required to remove tissue that has been contaminated by the GAS bacterium.
Infections like STSS are on the rise globally
“We’ve had streptococcal toxic shock syndrome and invasive strep,” Steer stated to the Washington Post. a centuries-long epidemic that lasted for hundreds of years in the United States.”
Though rare, the sudden spike in STSS cases in Japan should alert medical professionals to potential symptoms in their patients, according to Andrew Steer, director of infection, immunity, and global health at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia.
Global health officials have voiced alarm over rising rates of viral and bacterial infections since the coronavirus pandemic.
The same bacteria that cause STSS, group-A streptococcal infections, were the cause of 19 child deaths reported by UK health officials in 2022.
According to medical professionals, vaccinations may be able to stop the spread of these uncommon but potentially fatal bacterial illnesses. Due to monetary and technological obstacles, the process of developing one has taken decades and is still ongoing.
Recently, GreatGameIndia reported that WHO chief Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned the World Health Assembly forum to prepare for a disease potentially more deadly than COVID.