Mystery in Japan as dangerous streptococcal infections soar to record levels
www.theguardian.com
Health officials racing to identify cause of rise in streptococcal toxic shock syndrome – known as the ‘flesh-eating disease’ – which has a 30% fatality rate
  • Hexagon@feddit.it
    111·
    8 months ago

    Isn’t it too early for another pandemic? Like, a century too early?

    • FriendBesto@lemmy.ml
      3·
      8 months ago

      There are pandemics all the time. There was one in 1918, which everyone knows about because TV, there was one about 20 years prior in 1889. Also in 1956 and 1968 which next to no one knows. Unless you study the field or are in Academics.

      Before that they travelled slower or where even more isolated due to general lack of travel. Also, domestication played a role.

  • Crikeste@lemm.ee
    6·
    8 months ago

    Oh god not again dude. I don’t need to here more Americans claiming science and germs don’t exist.

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldBEnglish
    1·
    8 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    Experts warn that a rare but dangerous bacterial infection is spreading at a record rate in Japan, with officials struggling to identify the cause.

    The National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) said: “There are still many unknown factors regarding the mechanisms behind fulminant (severe and sudden) forms of streptococcus, and we are not at the stage where we can explain them.”

    The move also prompted people to lower their guard, in a country where widespread mask wearing, hand sanitising and avoiding the “three Cs” were credited with keeping Covid-19 deaths comparatively low.

    Ken Kikuchi, a professor of infectious diseases at Tokyo Women’s Medical University, says he is “very concerned” about the dramatic rise this year in the number of patients with severe invasive streptococcal infections.

    Japan’s health ministry recommends that people take the same basic hygiene precautions against strep A that became a part of everyday life during the coronavirus pandemic.

    “We want people to take preventive steps such as keeping your fingers and hands clean, and exercising cough etiquette,” the health minister, Keizo Takemi, told reporters earlier this year, according to the Japan Times.

    The original article contains 686 words, the summary contains 185 words. Saved 73%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

  • FriendBesto@lemmy.ml
    17·
    8 months ago

    Hmmm. Perhaps something that lots people took is affecting their general immune systems? Like say, something like their Interferons.