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In Japan, the number of cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) has suddenly increased this year.
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The rare and deadly bacterial infection affects blood and tissue.
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STSS is treated with antibiotics and sometimes surgery. There is no vaccine against the infection.
According to a report in the Washington Post, Japan has seen a sharp rise in cases of a rare but deadly bacterial infection in recent months, worrying health authorities.
Since January 2024, officials at Japan’s health ministry have reported 1,019 cases of toxic streptococcal shock syndrome (STSS), a bacterial infection for which there is no vaccine and is treated with antibiotics. At least 77 deaths from these STSS infections have been reported, with most deaths occurring in people over 50.
Officials at Japan’s health ministry said they are not sure what caused the sudden increase in cases, but they consider the increase alarming considering that fewer than 1,000 cases of STSS have been reported in the country in 2023.
STSS – causes and symptoms
STSS is caused by bacteria called Group A Streptococcus (GAS), according to the CDC.
This particular bacteria also causes mild infections such as strep throat because it is often found in the throat and on the skin.
However, when GAS enters a person’s bloodstream or tissues through open wounds or ulcers, organs can fail within 24 to 48 hours, the CDC website states. GAS is also linked to necrotizing fasciitis, an infection that causes a “flesh-eating” disease.
According to the CDC, three out of 10 people who develop STSS are likely to die.
Flu-like symptoms such as chills, fever, and muscle aches are often the first signs of STSS. More serious symptoms that indicate organ failure due to STSS include:
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Signs of low blood pressure include dizziness, blurred vision, weakness, nausea and headache.
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An unusually fast heart rate
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Unusually rapid breathing
If someone has these symptoms, they should go to the hospital immediately, according to the CDC.
Treatment typically includes replacing body fluids and antibiotics. In some cases, surgery may be needed to remove tissue infected with the GAS bacteria, according to the CDC.
Infections such as STSS are increasing worldwide
Steer told the Washington Post: “We have had streptococcal toxic shock syndrome and invasive streptococcal type A infection in the United States for decades, even hundreds of years.”
However, it is a rare infection and health workers should take the sudden increase in STSS cases in Japan as an opportunity to pay more attention to possible symptoms in their patients, says Andrew Steer, director of infections, immunity and global health at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia.
Since the coronavirus pandemic, health authorities around the world have expressed concern about rising bacterial and viral infection rates.
In 2022, British health authorities reported 19 deaths in children due to infections with group A streptococcus, the same bacteria that cause STSS.
Vaccines could help prevent the spread of these rare but potentially deadly bacterial infections, health experts said. However, developing such a vaccine has proven to be a decades-long process that is still ongoing due to financial and scientific hurdles.
Read the original article on Business Insider
