(DailyDig.com) – A rare, deadly infection in Japan, described as bacteria of a flesh-eating type, has been spreading mysteriously at a high rate, according to officials. Experts say that they have been working hard to determine the cause.
A surge in reported cases for 2024 is expected to exceed last year’s number of 941, as they already have 378 cases in the first two months, according to Japan’s news media. Concern is quickly growing that the deadly disease is a type of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS). Streptococcal A (Strep A) causes strep throat, but STSS is a more serious and deadly form of the Strep A bacteria.
Adults older than 30 years old are more susceptible to STSS and nearly thirty percent of people who contract STSS die. Most of the severe cases lead to tissue or organ failure, according to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) of Japan.
Streptococcal infections are extremely contagious and can spread from infected people to others through physical contact, mostly from wounds on feet and hands. They can also spread from coughing and sneezing as they travel on droplets expelled from the infected person.
In the advanced phases of STSS, the damaged tissues that cover muscles and organs will cause failure of the organs and necrosis. Antibiotics may help the spread of bacteria, but the infected tissue in severe cases must be removed.
A professor at Tokyo Medical University, Ken Kikuchi, said that Japan has become more relaxed regarding safeguarding the spread of germs and bacteria after the pandemic ended. He believes that half of Japan’s population has been infected by the virus. After recovery, the immunology of people might make them more susceptible to other organisms, including STSS.
Keizo Takemi, the Health Minister of Japan, said to the news media that people should take the proper precautions to not spread the bacteria. These include keeping their hands and fingers clean by frequent washing and covering the mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and disposal of the tissue immediately.
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