Cases of a dangerous and highly fatal bacterial infection have reached record levels in Japan, official figures show, with experts so far unable to pinpoint the reason for the rise.
As of June 2, Japan’s Health Ministry had recorded 977 cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS), which has a mortality rate of up to 30%. Some 77 people have died from the infection between January and March, the latest figures available.
The ongoing outbreak in Japan has already surpassed last year’s previous record of 941 preliminary infections – the highest since statistics began in 1999. Japan’s National Institute of Infectious Diseases reported 97 deaths due to STSS last year, the second-highest number of fatalities in the past six years.