Deadly ‘Flesh-Eating Bacteria’ Outbreak in Japan

Health authorities in Japan are on high alert as the country has recorded a significant increase in cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS), caused by a rare and aggressive group A streptococcus bacteria, also known as “flesh-eating bacteria.”

In an interview with Bloomberg, Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Adalja explains that “In certain individuals,” STSS “can be a much more severe infection, where it cause what we call necrotizing or flesh-eating type of skin infection. And can also spread systemically, and cause multiple different organ systems to shut down, that’s when we use the kind of term toxic shock syndrome,” leading to “high levels of morbidity and mortality.”

The alarming rise in STSS cases had Japan reporting over 1,000 cases by early June, surpassing last year’s total. Experts fear the number could climb to 2,500 by the end of this year. This “flesh-eating bacteria” progresses rapidly, often proving fatal within 48 hours.

Tokyo has seen a significant impact, particularly among adults over thirty years. Health officials in Japan emphasise early detection and swift medical response with appropriate antibiotics as critical in combating this deadly outbreak.