Publications by authors named "Haruna Nakamura-Miwa"
Article Synopsis
- A study analyzed 290 meningococcal isolates from Japan between 2003 and 2020 to assess their susceptibility to eight antibiotics, including penicillin and ciprofloxacin.
- Most isolates were found susceptible to chloramphenicol, ceftriaxone, meropenem, minocycline, and rifampicin, while two isolates were resistant to azithromycin and some were resistant or intermediate to penicillin and ciprofloxacin.
- Genetic analysis revealed that around 40% of penicillin-resistant isolates belonged to unique Japanese strains, indicating that resistance traits appear to be spread clonally rather than through gene transfer from other bacteria.
Article Synopsis
- Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is considered rare in Japan, which has limited detailed understanding of its causative agents and epidemiology compared to global concerns.
- A study conducted from 2003 to 2020 analyzed 291 meningococcal strains in Japan using whole genome sequencing, identifying serogroup Y (MenY) as the most prevalent, followed by MenB, with specific sequence types dominating the IMD and non-IMD isolates.
- Phylogenetic analyses revealed unique characteristics of Japanese isolates, including genetic similarities to strains from Europe and China, and indicated a considerable cross-reactivity of Japanese MenB strains with existing vaccines.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine administration started in February 2021 in Japan. As of December 2021, approximately 75% of the population aged ≥12 years had received two doses of vaccine. We conducted a study to investigate vasovagal reactions (VVR) after COVID-19 vaccination using data on adverse events following immunization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), including the Omicron variant, is less severe in children than in adults. To date, there has been no detailed description of COVID-19-associated severe encephalopathy due to the Omicron variant during the neonatal and early infantile periods.
Case Presentation: During the outbreak of the Omicron variant, a 29-day-old male presented with a pale and ill appearance.
Only approximately 40 cases of invasive meningococcal diseases are reported annually in Japan, and the dominant strains are serogroup Y meningococci (MenY) followed by serogroup B meningococci (MenB). Within the last 10 years, strains belonging to clonal complex (cc)2057 have become dominant among Japanese MenB and have not been identified in countries other than Japan. The uniqueness of cc2057 strains was considered to be epidemiologically of importance, and some genetic features could be hidden in the genome of cc2057 meningococci.
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