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FACT BRIEF

Has there been a spike in toxic shock syndrome cases in Wisconsin?

By Erin Gretzinger
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YES

According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Wisconsin has experienced five cases of toxic shock syndrome since July 2022 — the largest amount of cases reported in over a decade. 

Toxic shock syndrome, or TSS, is a rare, serious illness resulting from certain types of bacterial infections. It can affect any individual and be caused by the use of tampons, surgery and skin wounds. 

Four of Wisconsin's cases were linked to super-absorbent tampon usage in teenage females. In an average year, Wisconsin records one or zero TSS cases. There have been no reported deaths.  

Symptoms include sudden fever, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, muscle aches, low blood pressure and shock with multi-organ dysfunction. 

State Health Officer Paula Tran instructed, "It's important for those who use tampons to use the lowest absorbency, change their tampon every 4-6 hours, and avoid using tampons overnight."

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Wisconsin Department Of Health Services DHS Monitoring Increase in Toxic Shock Syndrome Cases
Mayo Clinic Toxic shock syndrome
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Wisconsin Watch
Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.