Health authorities in Japan have issued an alarm over the sharp increase in cases of severe streptococcal infection recorded in the country, especially in the Tokyo area, where cases have tripled in a year. From January to March 10, 474 cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (SSTS) were recorded in Japan, with a mortality rate of up to 30 percent, according to a report from the Ministry of Health. Oropharyngeal infections caused by strep bacteria across the country have quadrupled over the last four years.
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Since the first identification in Japan in 1992, the country has recorded around 100-200 cases of SSTS on average. In 2019, however, the figure jumped to 894 cases. Japan’s National Institute for Infectious Diseases warned this month that the factors responsible for cases of severe and fulminant streptococcal infection are largely still unknown. According to the Asahi newspaper, between July and December last year, 65 people under the age of 50 were diagnosed with SSTS, and around a third – 21 in total – lost their lives to the disease.
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The alarm coming from the East «is an important problem not only for Japan. Streptococcal infections – especially the very invasive ones – have increased all over the world and also in Italy, just look at the data from our country if we had a surveillance system.” Thus to Adnkronos Salute Matteo Bassetti, director of infectious diseases at the San Martino polyclinic in Genoa. «On Thursday we will present the data on streptococcal infections, including serious ones, in the Liguria Region», added the infectious disease specialist.
