Associations between Meteorological Factors and Reported Mumps Cases from 1999 to 2020 in Japan.

The present study investigated associations between epidemiological mumps patterns and meteorological factors in Japan. We used mumps surveillance data and meteorological data from all 47 prefectures of Japan from 1999 to 2020. A time-series analysis incorporating spectral analysis and the least-squares method was adopted.

Novel Structures and Temporal Changes of Arginine Catabolic Mobile Elements in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Genotypes ST5-MRSA-II and ST764-MRSA-II in Japan.

Twenty-two of 1,103 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates containing the type II staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec element (SCCmec) (collected in Hokkaido, Japan, from 2008 to 2011) harbored the arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME). Five genetic variations were identified in the ACME-staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec composite islands, 66 to 79 kb in size. The percentage of ACME carriage temporally increased from 0.

Time series analysis of reported cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease from 2010 to 2013 in Wuhan, China.

Background: Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is an infectious disease caused by a group of enteroviruses, including Coxsackievirus A16 (CVA16) and Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71). In recent decades, Asian countries have experienced frequent and widespread HFMD outbreaks, with deaths predominantly among children. In several Asian countries, epidemics usually peak in the late spring/early summer, with a second small peak in late autumn/early winter.

Human sapovirus classification based on complete capsid nucleotide sequences.

The genetically diverse sapoviruses (SaVs) are a significant cause of acute human gastroenteritis. Human SaV surveillance is becoming more critical, and a better understanding of the diversity and distribution of the viral genotypes is needed. In this study, we analyzed 106 complete human SaV capsid nucleotide sequences to provide a better understanding of their diversity.

Molecular characteristics of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Hokkaido, northern main island of Japan: identification of sequence types 6 and 59 Panton-Valentine leucocidin-positive community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Prevalence and molecular characteristics of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) were studied in Hokkaido, the main northern island of Japan. Among the 1,015 S. aureus isolates derived from clinical specimens of outpatients collected in 2009, methicillin resistance gene mecA was detected in 189 isolates (18.

Time series analysis of incidence data of influenza in Japan.

Background: Much effort has been expended on interpreting the mechanism of influenza epidemics, so as to better predict them. In addition to the obvious annual cycle of influenza epidemics, longer-term incidence patterns are present. These so-called interepidemic periods have long been a focus of epidemiology.

Predicting the incidence of human campylobacteriosis in Finland with time series analysis.

Human campylobacteriosis is a common bacterial cause of gastrointestinal infections. In this study, we tested whether spectral analysis based on the maximum entropy method (MEM) is useful in predicting the incidence of campylobacteriosis in five provinces in Finland, which has been accumulating good quality incidence data under the surveillance program for water- and food-borne infections. On the basis of the spectral analysis, we identified the periodic modes explaining the underlying variations of the incidence data in the years 2000-2005.

Diversity of staphylocoagulase and identification of novel variants of staphylocoagulase gene in Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylocoagulase (SC) is a major phenotypic determinant of Staphylococcus aureus. Serotype of SC (coagulase type) is used as an epidemiological marker and 10 types (I-X) have been discriminated so far. To clarify genetic diversity of SC within a single and among different serotype(s), we determined approximately 1500 bp-nucleotide sequences of SC gene encoding D1, D2, and central regions (N-terminal half and central regions of SC; SC(NC)) for a total of 33 S.

Genetic analysis of group B human rotaviruses detected in Bangladesh in 2000 and 2001.

Group B rotaviruses detected in Bangladesh in 2000 and 2001 were analyzed genetically to clarify relatedness to human group B rotaviruses reported previously in China and India, and to animal group B rotaviruses. VP7 gene sequences of the Bangladeshi group B rotaviruses (Bang373, Bang544, Bang334, and Bang402) were almost identical to each other and also showed high sequence identity to the Indian strain CAL-1 (98%) and Chinese strain adult diarrhea rotavirus (ADRV) (92%), while identities to bovine and murine viruses were considerably low (60-63%). Other genes of Bang373 and Bang544 encoding VP2, VP4, VP6, and NSP1 through NSP5 also showed much higher sequence identities to those of CAL-1 (97.