An alarming surge in cases of a dangerous flesh-eating bacterial infection has been reported in Japan following the easing of Covid-related restrictions.

The disease, known as streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, has infected 977 people by June 2 this year, surpassing the previous record of 941 cases for all of last year, according to data from the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.

“Most fatalities occur within 48 hours,” an infectious disease expert at Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Ken Kikuchi, told Bloomberg News. “Swelling that starts in the foot in the morning can spread to the knee by noon, and the patient could succumb within two days.”

The syndrome is caused by Group A Streptococcus, a bacteria that typically results in mild infections like strep throat, especially in children. However, certain strains of the infliction can escalate quickly, causing severe symptoms such as limb pain and swelling, fever, low blood pressure, and even necrosis, breathing difficulties, organ failure, and death. Individuals older than 50 are particularly vulnerable to this rapid progression.

This issue isn’t isolated to Japan. Late in 2022, at least five European nations reported a rise in invasive group A streptococcus cases to the World Health Organization. The organization linked the increase to the lifting of Covid restrictions.

Projections suggest that if the current trend continues, Japan could see as many as 2,500 cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome this year, with a mortality rate as high as 30 percent, Mr. Kikuchi warned.