Health officials are advising travelers not to cancel their plans to visit Japan even as concerns rise over an outbreak of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS), a serious infection caused by the bacterium streptococcus pyogenes. Despite the alarming increase in STSS cases, authorities are emphasizing the effectiveness of simple measures like hand hygiene, mask-wearing, and wound management in preventing the spread of the disease.
As reports of the "flesh-eating disease" spreading in Japan circulated in the media, worries about travel to the country heightened. However, officials are urging calm and emphasizing that there is no need for panic. In an effort to reassure potential visitors, a ministry official pointed out that the World Health Organization did not advise against travel to Europe during a surge in STSS cases there in 2022.
Although STSS is a rare condition, it can lead to severe consequences, including necrosis of muscle tissue and organ failure, with a mortality rate of approximately 30 percent. The age group most affected by STSS appears to be individuals in their 30s and older, and the number of reported cases in Japan has been on the rise, reaching a record high in recent years. In particular, the Kanto region has seen an increase in cases linked to a highly contagious variant of the bacterium circulating in Europe and the United States.