Japanese Actor Who Claimed to Retire After Catching 'That Disease' That Shook Japan... Unexpected Outcome Emerges

Repeated tests considering incubation period confirm negative
Retirement withdrawal by doctor not yet

Ayaka Muto (43), a Japanese adult video (AV) actress who considered retirement after being reported to have contracted a sexually transmitted disease, tested negative for syphilis. The previous test result was a misdiagnosis.

Photo by Ayaka Muto Social Networking Service

After testing positive for syphilis during a recent regular checkup, Muto underwent another syphilis test at a different gynecology clinic and received a negative result. Considering the syphilis incubation period, she was tested again two weeks later, which also came back negative, confirming that the earlier positive result was a false positive (a test result that incorrectly indicates the presence of a condition when it is not actually present).

Previously, Muto posted on X (formerly Twitter), "I went for a regular checkup last August and was diagnosed positive for syphilis. I had no symptoms and was unaware that I had contracted syphilis," and canceled all scheduled shoots. She expressed that she was under severe stress due to syphilis and said, "I even considered retiring," adding, "I no longer want to do AV shoots." Although the negative test result has been confirmed, it is not yet known whether Muto will retract her intention to retire.

Muto’s syphilis infection news coincided with a surge in syphilis cases in Japan, heightening local concerns. Her suspected syphilis infection, along with the rapid increase in syphilis cases in Japan, caused widespread surprise. According to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan on the 8th, the number of reported syphilis infections this year reached 10,766 cases. This is increasing at a pace similar to last year’s record high of 11,260 cases. Among the infected, 70% were men and 30% were women. By age group, most infected men were in their 20s to 50s, while the number of female patients in their 20s has significantly increased.

Syphilis is also rampant domestically. According to data confirmed by Seo Mi-hwa, a member of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on the 10th of last month, the number of syphilis patients from January to August this year was 1,881. Even considering only the patients up to August this year, the number has surged 4.5 times compared to last year’s total of 416 patients.