A HORRIFIC flesh-eating virus that can shut down internal organs and kill its victims in only a few hours is spreading, experts have warned. 

•  More than 500 people in Japan have been infected with the disease this year – the highest since records began in 1999. A total of 525 patients suffering from streptococcal shock syndrome (STSS) were rushed to the hospital, according to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.The figures have been rising each year since 2013 when 203 were treated for the illness. But the cause for the increase has baffled scientists. Symptoms include swelling and pain in the hands and feet, fever, and other body parts. Within hours the swelling spreads, causing necrosis of the tissue that surrounds muscles.Once the disease has reached that stage it could lead to multiple organ failures within hours – with a fatality rate of 30%. Antibiotic treatment can, however, stop the disease from spreading and save lives. Most patients have been 30 or older, including many elderly people.Ken Kuchi, a professor of infectious diseases at Tokyo Women’s Medical University said: “It is conceivable that a growing number go patients with STSS have infected with bacteria other than group A streptococcus.”He warned elderly patients to need to be particularly careful about contracting the disease. Mr. Kikuchi added: “The signs of an STSS-infected area likely appear from the feet. “The elderly should be careful about swelling of their feet and go see a doctor immediately when swelling appears.”