A disease caused by a rare “flesh-eating bacteria” that can kill people within 48 hours is spreading in Japan after the country relaxed Covid-era restrictions.
Calling strep pyogenes “flesh eating bacteria” is fear mongering. This is the strep throat bacteria. Not good to have by any means, but you’re not getting necrotizing fasciitis just because you come into contact with S. pyogenes.
S. Pyogenes can objectively cause nec fasc and toxic shock syndrome, both of which are life threatening. 20-30% of NEC fasc is Type 2 which is primarily S. Pyogenes or Staph.
S.Pyogenes is also one of the main bacteria that cause type 1 nec fasc which is around 70% of cases.
Calling it ‘just strep throat bacteria’ is inaccurate.
Necrotizing fasciitis isn’t what’s occurring in Japan. Those points you make are not wrong but they’re not applicable to what’s happening. Referring to what’s happening there as an outbreak of “flesh eating bacteria” is incorrect. That’s not the disease that’s occurring. If they were trying to be accurate rather than sensational, they’d say its a bacteria that causes toxic shock syndrome. It’s also literally due to more sore throat cases: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-warns-surge-potentially-deadly-strep-throat-cases-2024-03-26/
Across the country, infections of streptococcus bacteria of the throat are being diagnosed at quadruple the pace of the past five years, according to a health ministry report earlier this month.
Through March 10, Japan recorded 474 cases of the more serious streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (SSTS), which has a fatality rate of up to 30%. This syndrome happens when the infection spreads throughout the body, potentially causing organ failure.
Calling strep pyogenes “flesh eating bacteria” is fear mongering. This is the strep throat bacteria. Not good to have by any means, but you’re not getting necrotizing fasciitis just because you come into contact with S. pyogenes.
S. Pyogenes can objectively cause nec fasc and toxic shock syndrome, both of which are life threatening. 20-30% of NEC fasc is Type 2 which is primarily S. Pyogenes or Staph.
S.Pyogenes is also one of the main bacteria that cause type 1 nec fasc which is around 70% of cases.
Calling it ‘just strep throat bacteria’ is inaccurate.
Necrotizing fasciitis isn’t what’s occurring in Japan. Those points you make are not wrong but they’re not applicable to what’s happening. Referring to what’s happening there as an outbreak of “flesh eating bacteria” is incorrect. That’s not the disease that’s occurring. If they were trying to be accurate rather than sensational, they’d say its a bacteria that causes toxic shock syndrome. It’s also literally due to more sore throat cases: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-warns-surge-potentially-deadly-strep-throat-cases-2024-03-26/