Japanese health authorities are cautioning about rising numbers of strep throat cases that have the potential to turn deadly, although an expert said on Tuesday the surge is unlikely to result in a pandemic.

Cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS), which is caused by group A streptococcus bacteria and has a fatality rate of up to 30 percent, are running about three times higher than last year in Tokyo, city health officials said at an infectious disease control committee meeting last Friday. 

The rise in cases was reportedly behind North Korea's sudden cancellation of the World Cup qualifier football match in Japan last week. The disease is not a respiratory illness like pneumonia or COVID-19, so it is unlikely to lead to a pandemic situation, said Hitoshi Honda, an infectious disease professor at Fujita Health University in Aichi, central Japan.

"This is a droplet infection," Honda said. "Hand hygiene is extremely important for preventing invasive streptococcal infections."

(Production: Tom Bateman)