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By Pandora Dewan
Senior Science Reporter
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Cases of a fatal bacterial infection have hit record highs in Japan, and experts don't know why.
As of June 2, 977 reported cases of the infection have been reported in Japan since the start of 2024, according to the country's National Institute of Infectious Diseases, with 77 reported deaths. This figure has already surpassed last year's total of 941 cases and is nearly three times higher than the reported figure for this time last year.
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Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, or STSS, is a rare but serious bacterial infection caused mostly by microbes belonging to Group A Streptococcus bacteria. These same bacteria are also known to cause "flesh-eating" necrotizing fasciitis, which involves the rapid decay of the tissues that run beneath our skin.
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When these bacteria penetrate our tissues and bloodstream they release toxins that can induce dangerous overreactions by our immune systems, which ultimately contribute to the development of sudden shock—not having enough blood circulating around your body—and organ failure.
The initial symptoms of STSS are fever, chills, muscle aches and nausea and vomiting. Within 24 to 48 hours, more dangerous symptoms can rapidly develop, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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"After the first symptoms start, it usually only takes about 24 to 48 hours for low blood pressure to develop," the CDC said in a statement. "Once this happens, STSS quickly gets much more serious."
These symptoms include:
- Dangerously low blood pressure
- Organ failure
- Tachycardia, a faster than normal heart rate
- Rapid breath
Immediate medical attention is necessary, and treatments include antibiotics and intravenous fluids to treat low levels of blood flow and organ failure. Many STSS patients also need surgery to remove the infected tissue.
But even with treatment, STSS can be deadly, with as many as 30 percent of patients dying after contracting the infection.
Anyone can get STSS, but it is more common in older adults. Those with open wounds or patients who have recently had surgery or a viral infection that causes open sores, such as chickenpox, are also at an increased risk of infection. There have been reports of rapid symptom development after getting bruised, and, according to the CDC, in nearly half of STSS cases experts don't know how the bacteria entered the body.
Tokyo Women's Medical University Professor Kikuchi Ken told NHK World Japan that the latest surge in patients is alarming because it indicates that something new is happening that scientists have so far been unable to pinpoint.
He added that the rise in cases could have something to do with changes in our immune system's ability to fight off the infection.
"We can boost immunity if we are constantly exposed to bacteria," he said. "But that mechanism was absent during the coronavirus pandemic. S more people are now susceptible to infection, and that may be one reason for the sharp rise in cases."
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