"Rapid Spread of Deadly Bacterial Infections Baffles Japan"

A highly virulent and infectious form of streptococcus pyogenes, causing severe and potentially deadly infections, is spreading at a record rate in Japan, with officials struggling to identify the cause of the epidemic. Experts link the fast spread of the disease to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, prompting concerns about people abandoning basic hygiene measures. The rare streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) can cause serious illnesses and even death, particularly in adults over 30, and is estimated to be fatal in about 30 percent of cases. Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare recommends people to resume the hygiene level they had during the COVID-19 pandemic to stop the spread of strep A.