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 78-year-old Oklahoma woman who was diagnosed with polio as a child and was the last American to rely on an iron lung to live has died.
Martha Lillard found out she had the once-feared disease when she was 5 years old, which left her paralyzed from the neck down, and required her to use the machine to help her breathe while she slept.
Lillard contracted COVID-19 twice during the pandemic, which left her in the machine nearly 24 hours a day.
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“They told her she wasn’t supposed to live past 20 years old,” her younger sister, Cindy McVey, told The Associated Press on Friday. “She had the enthusiasm and the drive to continue living and make the best of her life.”
Despite having polio, Lillard was able to go to school two hours a day as a child, and she had tutors the rest of the time. She also used an intercom phone system that allowed her to interact with her teachers and classmates from home.
Martha Lillard rests in her iron lung in Shawnee, Oklahoma. (Cindy McVey/AP Photo, File)
Lillard was even able to take road trips as a child because of a custom trailer that could accommodate the iron lung and her father making sure their hotels had wide enough doors for the machine.
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An iron lung is a negative-pressure ventilator that would help a patient with paralyzed lung muscles breathe.
A row of iron lungs is seen inside in a Los Angeles hospital in 1950. (Bettmann Archive)
The disease once caused thousands of cases of paralysis in children during outbreaks each year in the first part of the 20th century before a vaccine became available in 1955.
By 1979, polio was considered eliminated in the U.S.
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Later, Lillard was able to regain the use of her left arm and legs through therapy and was even able to drive for a time.
She lived independently for many years, even getting married earlier this year to a man from Egypt she corresponded with for two decades after he was able to obtain a visa.
A nurse prepares children for a polio vaccine shot as part of a citywide vaccine test on elementary school students. (Bettmann Archive)
“They were really soul mates,” McVey said. “He’s extremely brokenhearted.”
Lillard, who wrote poetry and volunteered with the Humane Society, according to her sister, had just 25% lung capacity before she was diagnosed with COVID.
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She died of chronic pulmonary failure and post-polio syndrome, according to her death certificate.
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Her sister added that it was related to the effects of long-haul COVID.
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
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Reducing your risk of cancer death may be as simple as taking brief breaks for physical activity throughout the day, according to a new observational study.
The study, led by researchers from the University of Glasgow studying the association between cancer and prolonged sedentary behavior, found that participants who regularly interrupted prolonged sitting with physical activity had a lower risk of cancer death.
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“This study adds to growing evidence that prolonged sedentary behavior is an independent health risk,” Dr. Georgia Spear, chief of breast imaging at Northwestern Medicine, told Fox News Digital.
“While it does not prove that sitting causes cancer, it suggests that long, uninterrupted periods of sitting are associated with a higher risk of cancer mortality,” Spear explained. “The findings reinforce existing public-health recommendations that regular movement throughout the day is an important component of cancer prevention.”
Prolonged sedentary periods are associated with increased risk of cancer death, researchers observed. (iStock)
The researchers monitored 91,292 volunteer participants in the U.K. who wore movement-tracking devices on their wrists for seven days to track their sedentary habits. The scientists followed the volunteers’ health outcomes over the course of about 12 years.
The researchers defined prolonged sedentary behavior as any bout that lasted “at least 30 minutes and during which at least 90% of the time was sedentary.”
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They defined interrupted sitting as sessions that lasted fewer than 30 minutes or were interrupted by brief periods of physical activity.
Each additional hour per day of prolonged sedentary behavior was associated with a 10% higher risk of cancer death, the researchers reported in their study, published by PLOS Medicine.
Light physical activity, including household chores, such as ironing, are associated with reduced cancer death risk. (iStock)
Replacing one hour of sitting each day with light activity was associated with a 12% lower risk of cancer death. Replacing 30 minutes with moderate activity was linked to an 8% lower risk, and replacing just five minutes with vigorous activity was associated with a 22% lower risk.
The researchers classified light physical activity as walking at a low speed and performing household chores, such as ironing a shirt or washing dishes.
These findings should be interpreted with caution, the researchers wrote, “because the study cannot prove causality.”
The volunteers may not represent the wider population, they noted, “and the activity monitor captured behavior only during a limited period without showing the context of sedentary behavior, such as work, television viewing or driving.”
Spear said that existing research has linked sedentary behavior to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and several cancers.
Breaking up periods of sitting or reclining with physical activity is key to reducing the risk of cancer death, researchers found. (iStock)
“What is notable here is the finding that how people sit appears to matter, not just the total amount,” she said. “Breaking up sitting with regular movement may provide measurable health benefits.”
According to Spear, other simple lifestyle strategies can be highly effective at reducing cancer-death risk.
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“Stand and move every 30 to 60 minutes, take short walking breaks, including after meals, use the stairs, walk during phone calls and incorporate light activity throughout the day,” she recommended.
“Combined with regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol, not smoking and staying current with recommended cancer screening, these habits can help reduce the risk of breast cancer and other chronic diseases.”
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A simple lifestyle adjustment could potentially slow down the body’s biological aging process, according to new research.
The study, published in the journal Aging, investigated how a diet change and easy exercise regimen affected men between the ages of 50 and 74 over a three-month period.
Researchers designed a clinical trial involving 48 overweight men in Japan. Over a 12-week period, half of the participants followed a strictly structured wellness routine, while the other half maintained their usual habits.
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For the intervention group, the routine required consuming 100 grams of plain yogurt every day.
This group also received individualized dietary counseling that advised them to curb overeating, avoid excessive snacking and cut out sugary drinks.
A simple lifestyle adjustment could potentially slow down the body’s biological aging process, according to new research. (iStock)
They were also instructed to walk or use a stepper machine for roughly 30 minutes a day, at least three days each week.
To measure the impact of these changes, the scientists collected blood samples from all participants before and after the study, and also analyzed DNA for chemical changes that act as indicators of cellular age.
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Specifically, they used a measurement tool called DunedinPACE. Rather than assessing a person’s chronological age in years, this tool calculates the precise rate at which an individual’s body is currently aging.
The men who consumed the probiotic yogurt, adjusted their diets and exercised showed a statistically significant reduction in their pace of aging compared to the control group, the researchers said.
The anti-aging benefits cannot be attributed to any single component on its own due to the variety in the study, the researchers noted. (iStock)
On average, the speed of their biological aging slowed by approximately 2.2%. This reduction is roughly comparable to the slowing of biological aging observed in a previous two-year U.S. study, in which participants reduced their daily calorie intake by 25%.
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This reduction in aging speed happened independently of weight loss , meaning it did not directly correlate with changes in the participants’ body mass index or the exact number of exercise sessions they logged.
The researchers also recorded a noticeable improvement in a specific DNA marker that is linked to kidney function.
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Because this study combined three distinct factors — probiotics, diet and exercise — the authors concluded that the anti-aging benefits cannot be attributed to any single component. Instead, the slowed aging rate appears to be the result of a combined effect.
The reduction in aging speed happened independently of weight loss, the study found. (iStock)
The researchers also acknowledged clear limitations of the study, including its small sample size and short duration. Also, the participant pool was restricted to overweight men of a single nationality.
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More research is needed to determine whether these short-term biological shifts can translate into permanent, long-term health benefits, the study stated.
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