Publications by authors named "Noriyuki Maeshiro"
Article Synopsis
- - The study examined the clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with severe COVID-19 cases caused by the XBB variant in Okinawa, Japan, during mid-2023.
- - Out of 367 hospitalized patients, 18.5% were classified as severe, with older age and underlying health conditions linked to a higher mortality rate (13.2% in severe cases vs. 3.0% in mild cases).
- - Notably, diabetes mellitus increased the risk for severe COVID-19, while receiving the bivalent omicron booster significantly reduced the severity of the disease.
Article Synopsis
- * Out of 541 suspected cases, 24 showed positive IgM but negative rRT-PCR, primarily seen in vaccinated children and a few adults with unclear vaccination history.
- * Our findings suggest that vaccination status and additional tests, like measles IgG avidity and PCR for other viruses, are essential for accurate diagnosis in such cases.
Article Synopsis
- * Whole-genome sequencing showed that these bacteria carry a specific plasmid (IncFII) with the LT gene, suggesting they've spread through fecal contamination in chickens.
- * The strains also have genes for multidrug resistance, indicating a need for ongoing monitoring to assess their pathogenic risks.
Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging zoonotic tick-borne disease caused by SFTS virus (SFTSV). SFTSV has a wide spectrum of animal hosts and is considered to circulate in an enzootic tick-vertebrate-tick cycle. A previous seroepidemiological study showed the presence of anti-SFTSV antibodies in wild mongooses (Herpestes auropunctatus) and indicated that outdoor activity was associated with an increased risk of tick bites among Okinawa residents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn Okinawa prefecture, Japan, the first case of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) was confirmed in August 2016, and this case remains to be the only reported case of SFTS in Okinawa. The epidemiological investigation indicated that the patient had been infected on the main island of Okinawa, but source and route of infection were unknown. Therefore, to understand the possible source and route of SFTS virus (SFTSV) infection in Okinawa, we performed a seroepidemiological study of SFTSV among animals and dwellers in Okinawa and conducted a questionnaire survey to investigate risk factors for tick bites in Okinawa.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Okinawa prefecture confirmed 142 cases of coronavirus disease from February 14 to May 2020. Among them, 78 were the first cases of a household with 174 household contacts. Of the 174 contacts, 21 contracted the disease, indicating a secondary attack rate of 12.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA large acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) outbreak occurred in 2011 in Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. Ten strains of coxsackievirus group A type 24 variant (CA24v) were isolated from patients with AHC and full sequence analysis of the VP3, VP1, 3C(pro) and 3D(pol) coding regions performed. To assess time-scale evolution, phylogenetic analysis was performed using the Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo method.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo clarify the molecular epidemiology of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in Okinawa Prefecture, located in a subtropical region of Japan, we performed genetic analysis of the F gene in HMPV from patients with acute respiratory infection from January 2009 to December 2011. HMPV was detected in 18 of 485 throat swabs (3.7%).
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