Health
Fatal bacterial infections surging in Japan with unknown cause, reports says
Japan is reporting a spike in potentially fatal bacterial infections.
Cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS), which is caused by Group A Streptococcus bacteria, have reached 977 in the country so far this year as of June 2, according to Japan’s National Institute of Infectious Diseases.
That is almost triple the number of cases reported at this time last year.
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The cause for the surge is not known.
It could be linked to weakened immunity after the COVID pandemic, according to Tokyo Women’s Medical University professor Ken Kikuchi.
Takeshita Street in Harajuku is one of the most popular streets in Tokyo. Japan is currently reporting a spike in potentially fatal bacterial infections. (iStock)
“We can boost immunity if we are constantly exposed to bacteria, but that mechanism was absent during the coronavirus pandemic,” Kikuchi told NKH World Japan.
“So, more people are now susceptible to infection, and that may be one reason for the sharp rise in cases.”
“It can lead to sepsis and death if not treated quickly with antibiotics and fluids.”
Thomas Moore, M.D., a clinical professor at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, said he’s not convinced the pandemic is the culprit.
“I can’t conclusively say that that’s incorrect, but this is the kind of thing where it spreads more easily when people are crowded together, like they can be in Tokyo,” he said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) is caused by Group A Streptococcus bacteria. (iStock)
“So it’s not so much an effect of weakened immunity as much as it is a very brisk immunity — a brisk immunologic reaction that results in the illness.”
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Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, warned that STSS can overcome an immune system that isn’t functioning properly.
“It’s similar to toxic shock syndrome, but with strep instead of staph,” he told Fox News Digital.
What is STSS?
Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome is a rare but serious bacterial infection, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
It occurs when the Group A Streptococcus bacteria travels into deep tissues and the bloodstream.
“Everybody’s familiar with strep throat, and that’s generally the same organism,” said Moore.
“The main difference between common, regular strep throat and this particular condition is a specific gene that produces a toxin that results in this severe outbreak,” an expert said. (iStock)
“The main difference between common, regular strep throat and this particular condition is a specific gene that produces a toxin that results in this severe outbreak.”
Although STSS usually does not spread from person to person, the less severe group A strep infection — which can lead to STSS if it spreads to the tissues or bloodstream — is very contagious.
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Initial symptoms usually include fever and chills, muscle aches, and nausea and vomiting, per the CDC.
Within a day or two, blood pressure starts to drop, which can lead to more dangerous effects like elevated heart rate, rapid breathing, sepsis, tissue death and organ failure.
People with STSS require hospitalization and immediate medical care, including intravenous fluids and other treatments for shock and organ failure, the CDC said. (iStock)
STSS can be fatal, with about one in 10 patients dying from the infection.
Although there is no specific test for STSS, it is diagnosed based on the presence of group A strep, low blood pressure and issues with two or more organs (blood, kidney, liver, lung, skin or soft tissue).
Higher-risk groups include older adults over 65, people with open wounds, and those with diabetes or alcohol use disorder, according to the CDC.
People with STSS require hospitalization and immediate medical care, including intravenous fluids and other treatments for shock and organ failure, the agency stated on its website.
Frequent hand-washing is one of the most effective prevention tactics, doctors say. (iStock)
“It can lead to sepsis and death if not treated quickly with antibiotics and fluids,” Siegel warned.
In severe cases, he said, patients may require surgery to remove infected tissue or even limb amputation.
Prevention tips
Although there is no vaccine for Group A strep infections, the CDC recommends implementing prevention tips — chiefly limiting exposure to those who are infected.
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It is also important to properly clean and care for wounds and fungal infections.
“If it gets on your skin where you have a break of some kind, it can invade the lymphatic system and cause infection,” Moore warned.
It is important to properly clean and care for wounds and fungal infections to prevent infection, according to experts. (iStock)
The doctor typically sees this in people who have swelling of their legs due to obesity, diabetes or a condition such as athlete’s foot, he said.
“When streptococcal infection gets in through other parts of the body, like the legs or a surgical incision, that can be pretty serious,” he said.
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Frequently washing hands, following proper coughing and sneezing etiquette, and thoroughly washing all dishes after use can help prevent spread, per the CDC.
Treatment with antibiotics also minimizes contagion.
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A new report by the American Heart Association (AHA) included some troubling predictions for the future of women’s health.
The forecast, published in the journal Circulation on Wednesday, projected increases in various comorbidities in American females by 2050.
More than 59% of women were predicted to have high blood pressure, up from less than 49% currently.
The review also projected that more than 25% of women will have diabetes, compared to about 15% today, and more than 61% will have obesity, compared to 44% currently.
As a result of these risk factors, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7%.
The prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke in women is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7% by 2050. (iStock)
Not all trends were negative, as unhealthy cholesterol prevalence is expected to drop to about 22% from more than 42% today, the report stated.
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Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist and founder of Step One Foods in Minnesota, commented on these “jarring findings.”
“The fact that on our current trajectory, cardiometabolic disease is projected to explode in women within one generation should be a huge wake-up call,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“Hypertension, diabetes, obesity — these are all major risk factors for heart disease, and we are already seeing what those risks are driving. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, eclipsing all other causes of death, including breast cancer.”
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. and around the world. (iStock)
Klodas warned that heart disease starts early, progresses “stealthily,” and can present “out of the blue in devastating ways.”
The AHA published another study on Thursday revealing one million hospitalizations, showing that heart attack deaths are climbing among adults below the age of 55.
The more alarming finding, according to Klodas, is that young women were found more likely to die after their first heart attack than men of the same age.
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“This is all especially tragic since heart disease is almost entirely preventable,” she said. “The earlier you start, the better.”
Children can show early evidence of plaque deposition in their arteries, which can be reversed through lifestyle changes if “undertaken early enough and aggressively enough,” according to the expert.
Moving more is one part of protecting a healthy heart, according to experts. (iStock)
Klodas suggested that rising heart conditions are associated with traditional risk factors, like smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
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Doctors are also seeing higher rates of preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy, as well as gestational diabetes. Klodas noted that these are sex-specific risk factors that don’t typically contribute to complications until after menopause.
The best way to protect a healthy heart is to “do the basics,” Klodas recommended, including the following lifestyle habits.
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Klodas especially emphasized making improvements to diet, as the food people eat affects “every single risk factor that the AHA’s report highlights.”
“High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, excess weight – these are all conditions that are driven in part or in whole by food,” she said. “We eat multiple times every single day, which means what we eat has profound cumulative effects over time.”
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health.”
The doctor also recommends changing out a few snacks per day for healthier choices, which has been proven to “yield medication-level cholesterol reductions” in a month.
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“Keep up that small change and, over the course of a year, you could also lose 20 pounds and reduce your sodium intake enough to avoid blood pressure-lowering medications,” Klodas added.
“Women should not view the AHA report as inevitable. We have power over our health destinies. We just need to use it.”
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Nearsightedness (myopia) is skyrocketing globally, with nearly half of the world’s population expected to be myopic by 2050, according to the World Health Organization.
Heavy use of smartphones and other devices is associated with an 80% higher risk of myopia when combined with excessive computer use, but a new study suggests that dim indoor lighting could also be a factor.
For years, scientists have been puzzled by the different ways myopia is triggered. In lab settings, it can be induced by blurring vision or using different lenses. Conversely, it can be slowed by something as simple as spending time outdoors, research suggests.
Nearsightedness occurs when the eyeball grows too long from front to back, according to the American Optometric Association (AOA). This physical elongation causes light to focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it, making distant objects appear blurry.
The study suggests that myopia isn’t caused by the digital devices themselves, but by the low-light environments where they are typically used. (iStock)
Researchers at the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry identified a potential specific trigger for this growth. When someone looks at a phone or a book up close, the pupil naturally constricts.
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“In bright outdoor light, the pupil constricts to protect the eye while still allowing ample light to reach the retina,” Urusha Maharjan, a SUNY Optometry doctoral student who conducted the study, said in a press release.
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“When people focus on close objects indoors, such as phones, tablets or books, the pupil can also constrict — not because of brightness, but to sharpen the image,” she went on. “In dim lighting, this combination may significantly reduce retinal illumination.”
High-intensity natural light prevents myopia because it provides enough retinal stimulation to override the “stop growing” signal, even when pupils are constricted. (iStock)
The hypothesis suggests that when the retina is deprived of light during extended close-up work, it sends a signal for the eye to grow.
In a dim environment, the narrowed pupil allows so little light through that the retinal activity isn’t strong enough to signal the eye to stop growing, the researchers found.
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In contrast, being outdoors provides light levels much brighter than indoors. This ensures that even when the pupil narrows to focus on a nearby object, the retina still receives a strong signal, maintaining healthy eye development.
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The team noted some limitations of the study, including the small subject group and the inability to directly measure internal lens changes, as the bright backgrounds used to mimic the outdoors made pupils too small for standard equipment.
Researchers believe that increasing indoor brightness during close-up work could be a simple, testable way to slow the global nearsightedness epidemic. (iStock)
“This is not a final answer,” Jose-Manuel Alonso, MD, PhD, SUNY distinguished professor and senior author of the study, said in the release.
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“But the study offers a testable hypothesis that reframes how visual habits, lighting and eye focusing interact.”
The study was published in the journal Cell Reports.
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