A record number of cases involving a rare but serious type of bacterial infection is currently spreading across Japan. Known as streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS), its prevalence is alarming health officials, given its 30% mortality rate. But as cases of this highly contagious condition soar, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is still struggling to identity the exact cause of what some have dubbed the "flesh-eating disease." But what exactly is STSS, and why is it so feared?
Click through and learn more about this potentially deadly infection sweeping across Japan.