On July 12, Japanese media reported that the number of patients with Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome (STSS), commonly known as "flesh-eating bacteria" infections, continues to rise in Japan. As of June 30, Japan had confirmed 1,144 cases of "flesh-eating bacteria" infections this year. According to a survey by the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, five pregnant or postpartum women died from this infection between last July and this March.
A magnified picture of the "flesh-eating bacteria". /Photo courtesy to National Institute of Infectious Diseases of Japan
STSS is a septic shock caused by hemolytic streptococci. The infection is typically transmitted through respiratory droplets via the nasal cavity and throat mucosa, as well as through contact with wounds. Patients can progress from initial symptoms to shock and multiple organ failure within 24 to 48 hours, with a mortality rate as high as 30 percent. Due to their high lethality, the causative bacteria are referred to as "flesh-eating bacteria" in Japan.