When Koichi Goka heard rumors about the mysterious deaths three years ago, he started snooping around. What he found has put government officials on alert against a new plague, one that causes the limbs of its victims to rot and fall off.
The sick aren't filling hospitals -- this plague is restricted to beetles.
But in a country where it is not uncommon for collectors to spend thousands of yen on a pet bug, Goka's discovery has become national news.