As of early June, the Japanese Ministry of Health recorded a record 977 cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS), the mortality rate of which reaches 30 percent. The latest data indicate that between January and March this year, approximately 77 people died as a result of infection, it says.
A rare but serious bacterial infection is affecting Japanese people
STSS is a rare but serious bacterial infection caused by group A streptococci. The bacteria most often enter the bloodstream through broken skin and release toxins. Patients initially suffer from fever, muscle pain and vomiting, but the symptoms can quickly become life-threatening – low blood pressure, swelling, multi-organ failure, ultimately leading to toxic shock. Organs such as the heart, kidneys and liver may be damaged. “Group A streptococcal infections were largely contained thanks to Covid restrictions such as masks and social distancing, but as these measures were relaxed, many countries saw an increase in the number of cases,” CNN highlights. Japanese authorities warned of a sharp increase in the number of STSS cases in the country in March.
Record rise in potentially deadly infections in Japan. The experts have a problem
“Experts do not know how the bacteria entered the bodies of almost half of people suffering from this disease,” says the Japanese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. According to Japanese public television NHK, the reason for this year’s increase in cases of bacterial infections related to group A streptococcus remains unclear. According to one of the scientists from Tokyo Women’s Medical University, the increase in the number of cases may be due to the weakening of citizens’ immune systems as a result of COVID-19.
Source: Gazeta
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