KATHMANDU: The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) has addressed growing public concern over the spread of Group A Streptococcus disease in Japan, emphasizing that the risk in Nepal has not been definitively determined yet. Dr. Yadu Chandra Ghimire, Director of EDCD, mentioned that initial discussions have taken place regarding the disease but Nepal has not received specific information from international bodies about the level of risk involved. He advised vigilance and recommended testing for identification if symptoms are observed, although a national advisory has not been issued pending further evaluation.

According to recent estimates, 77 individuals died within a month of contracting Group A Streptococcus, which has infected 1,000 people in Japan. With a reported 30 percent death rate, this bacteria is well-known for its quick start and risk for death within 24 to 48 hours of infection. The bacteria is present around the world, including in Nepal, according to Dr. Sher Bahadur Pun of Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital. However, genetic alterations seen in Japan may have had a role in the bacterium's severe expression there.

Dr. Pun highlighted the similarity in transmission between Group A Streptococcus and COVID-19, both spreading through respiratory droplets. Symptoms such as fever, vomiting, body pain, and respiratory distress can quickly escalate, earning the disease its colloquial name "flesh-eating disease" due to its rapid destruction of body tissue. Severe cases can lead to organ failure and a condition known as Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome, causing unconsciousness in patients.

Given the regular travel between Nepal and Japan, Dr. Pun emphasized the potential for imported cases and stressed the importance of personal hygiene, early medical consultation upon symptom onset, and testing for suspected cases as crucial preventive measures against the disease's spread in Nepal.