Publications by authors named "F Terasoma"
Article Synopsis
- Japanese spotted fever (JSF), a tick-borne illness caused by Rickettsia japonica, has seen rising cases, with a notable cluster of seven reported for the first time in Japan's literature, linked to a cemetery visit in late 2019.
- This outbreak was linked to an increase in cemetery visitors during a Buddhist event and a surge in infectious tick larvae, highlighting the role of environmental factors in disease spread.
- Effective management of the outbreak involved prompt collaborative response from clinical, laboratory, and public health sectors, emphasizing the need for early intervention to prevent severe disease outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- Human norovirus GII.P17-GII.17 emerged in 2014, causing global gastroenteritis outbreaks, with significant evolutionary changes noted over the years.
- Analysis of samples from 2013-2017 revealed that the GII.17 region diverged in 1949 and GII.P17 in 2010, with varied evolutionary rates indicating significant genomic changes.
- Variants of the virus show potential changes in antigenicity, host interaction, and replication capabilities due to specific amino acid substitutions in key proteins, which could affect how the virus functions and spreads.
Along with the increase in consumption of raw animal meat, the prevalence of food poisoning is increasing. A 67-year-old Japanese man had eaten raw venison 4 hours prior to the beginning of vomiting. Many white cysts were discovered in the venison, with numerous bradyzoites being detected after the cysts were punctured.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSeven foodborne norovirus outbreaks attributable to the GII.P17-GII.17 strain were reported across Japan in 2017, causing illness in a total of 2,094 persons.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Rickettsiae are specialized intracellular bacteria with small genomes due to evolutionary reduction, often transmitted through ticks and linked to specific tick species and geographic regions.
- A study focused on Rickettsia japonica, the cause of Japanese spotted fever, revealed remarkably low genomic diversity among strains in Japan over 30 years, with only 34 single nucleotide polymorphisms found.
- Findings suggest potential clonal expansion and lengthy dormant phases in the bacteria’s lifecycle, influenced by their association with ticks.