[HIGHLIGHTS] Alarming increase: Japan is fighting a serious streptococcal epidemic

In 2024, more than 400 cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) were recorded in Japan. In 2023, 941 cases of STSS were reported.

In the first two months of this year alone, 378 cases were confirmed almost across the country. The exact reasons for the current spread of the bacterial infection in Japan are not yet fully understood. The Japanese Ministry of Health currently recommends taking the same hygiene measures that applied during the pandemic. The disease is often fatal.