Publications by authors named "Ohmagari N"
Guidelines for sexually transmitted infections recommend oral metronidazole (MNZ) as the first-line treatment option for vaginal trichomoniasis; however, there have been cases of prolonged symptoms or recurrence after treatment. To consider appropriate treatment strategies for refractory vaginal trichomoniasis, we conducted a retrospective cohort study. We reviewed the medical records of patients who tested positive for Trichomonas vaginalis (T.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChronological trend of social contact patterns in Japan after the emergence of COVID-19.
J Infect Public Health
December 2024
Background: The social contact data for Japan as of 2022 showed a substantially decreased number of contacts compared with before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is unclear whether social contact continues to be depressed following the end of countermeasures against the pandemic. There is also scarce evidence regarding the influence of influenza-like illnesses (ILIs) on social contacts in Japan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTrends in antimicrobial consumption: long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Clin Microbiol Infect
December 2024
Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a global decrease in antimicrobial consumption (AMC) in 2020. However, the persistence of this downwards trend is not known at a global level. This study examined the global and longer-term trends in AMC after the emergence of COVID-19.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTips from an expert panel on the development of a clinical research protocol.
BMC Med Res Methodol
November 2024
Article Synopsis
- A research protocol outlines a proposed research idea, serving as a formal document submitted for approval from funding agencies, institutions, or journals, which can be particularly challenging for early-career researchers.
- Key components of a successful research protocol include a specific title, an abstract summarizing the study, an introduction that defines the knowledge gap, a justification for its significance, clear SMART objectives, a detailed methodology, and plans for dissemination, ethics, budgets, and references.
- This guide aims to provide practical tips and an overview of the necessary steps to help researchers create a compelling and well-structured protocol to secure approval or funding for their studies.
Introduction: Ruminococcus gnavus is a microbiota-forming, gram-positive coccus reportedly associated with several diseases, such as Crohn's disease. The number of in vitro studies on it is increasing. However, its clinical information is lacking in the literature, with only a few case reports published to date.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe evaluated the diagnostic performance of Rapiim SARS-CoV-2-H (Rapiim-H)-a point-of-care qualitative antigen test-using nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) and saliva samples and compared its results with those from antigen quantification and nucleic acid amplification tests. NPS and saliva were collected from patients with confirmed and suspected coronavirus disease (COVID-19). In total, 142 NPS and saliva samples were collected.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe evaluated the viral load of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in ambient air, vesicle, and pharyngeal swabs in VZV-infected patients. Of 46 cases, 6 had VZV detected in indoor air samples from patient rooms. Results suggest an association between viral load in the pharyngeal swab and indoor air.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To investigate the effect of studying abroad on catch-up vaccination coverage for measles, rubella, mumps, varicella, and tetanus during the pretravel consultation among young adult travelers.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed data from the Japan Pretravel Consultation Registry (J-PRECOR) on individuals aged 18-21 years with childhood vaccination records. Propensity score weighting was used to estimate the average treatment effect on the proportion of participants receiving catch-up vaccination.
Article Synopsis
- Researchers investigated whether SARS-CoV-2 RNA can be found on the skin of COVID-19 patients by analyzing skin surface lipids (SSLs) collected from their faces.
- Using RT-PCR, they found that 84.6% of samples tested positive within 5 days of symptom onset, while only 30.4% tested positive between 6-10 days.
- The study also revealed an increase in specific genes related to the immune response in the skin samples, highlighting a new method for detecting the virus and studying its impact on human health non-invasively.
Background: Dexamethasone is currently administered for Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19); however, there are concerns about its effect on specific antibodies' production. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether specific antibodies were affected by COVID-19 severity and corticosteroid treatment.
Methods: Of 251 confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted to our hospital between January 26 and August 10, 2020, the early period of the pandemic, 75 patients with sera within 1 month of onset and 1 month or longer were included in the research.
Article Synopsis
- The isolation of SARS-CoV-2 from patient samples is crucial for accurate COVID-19 diagnosis and studying virus variants.
- VeroE6 cells modified to overexpress human ACE2 and TMPRSS2 are more effective than standard VeroE6/TMPRSS2 cells, showing a 1.6-fold increase in virus isolation efficiency, especially for samples with low viral loads.
- Experiments with VSV pseudoviruses indicate that these modified cells enhance infectivity rates, emphasizing the need for selecting optimal cell cultures when studying SARS-CoV-2.
There is a paucity of data on the clinical course and treatment of . Herein, we describe a successfully treated case of bacteremia. A 76-year-old man with lung adenocarcinoma developed bacteremia caused by penicillin-resistant, oxacillin-susceptible , which was identified through mass spectrometry and gene sequencing.
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- - This study investigates how effective remdesivir is in helping noncritical COVID-19 patients with severe kidney issues, focusing on whether it can lower the chances of death or the need for invasive treatments.
- - Researchers examined data from 1,449 patients with severe renal insufficiency and found that those who started remdesivir early (within 2 days) had significantly lower mortality or need for invasive mechanical ventilation compared to those who did not receive it.
- - The results suggest that administering remdesivir soon after symptoms appear can be beneficial for noncritical COVID-19 patients facing severe renal problems, as it reduces the risk of serious outcomes.
Factors associated with the change of antimicrobial prescription before and after the national action plan on antimicrobial resistance: Additional analysis of a nationwide survey conducted by the Japanese Society of Chemotherapy and the Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases.
J Infect Chemother
February 2025
Article Synopsis
- A 2020 survey by Japanese health organizations examined doctors' prescribing habits for antimicrobials, focusing on changes after the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAPAR) was implemented.
- Out of 3,000 clinics surveyed, 632 responses showed that greater familiarity with antimicrobial stewardship guidelines and awareness of NAPAR correlated with reduced antimicrobial prescriptions.
- The study suggests that while educational interventions may help lower prescriptions, additional targeted strategies are needed for high-prescription groups to effectively combat antimicrobial resistance.
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterized by high interleukin-6 levels. Clinical data supporting tocilizumab, a monoclonal antibody that targets interleukin-6 receptor-alpha, for treating Japanese patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia are needed.
Methods: This single-arm phase 3 study investigated tocilizumab (8 mg/kg) plus standard of care (SOC) in Japanese patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 pneumonia.
Background: Data are limited on the protective role of the Omicron BA bivalent vaccine, previous infection, and their induced neutralizing antibodies against Omicron XBB.1.16 and EG.
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- Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) is a severe condition mainly caused by beta-hemolytic streptococci (BHS), with the study investigating other BHS species' roles in STSS development.
- The study analyzed medical records from 2002 to 2022, identifying 43 STSS cases and examining their clinical features compared to 285 non-STSS cases, while factoring in age and diabetes.
- Results showed a high mortality rate of about 35% in STSS cases, with certain BHS species being more strongly associated with STSS than others, highlighting the need for further understanding of these infections.
Article Synopsis
- Co-infection with other viruses can worsen the severity of COVID-19 in children, but research on this topic is still limited, particularly in the context of the Omicron variant.
- A study of 245 hospitalized pediatric COVID-19 patients found that 31.8% had co-infections, mainly with enterovirus/rhinovirus, and these patients exhibited more respiratory symptoms and a higher need for oxygen support.
- The analysis identified co-infection and existing comorbidities as significant risk factors for requiring oxygen therapy in these pediatric patients.
Background: We aimed to examine the association among nucleocapsid (N) antibodies, a combination of N and spike (S) antibodies, and protection against SARS-CoV-2 reinfection.
Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study among staff at a national medical research center in Tokyo and followed them for the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection between June and September 2023 (Omicron XBB.1.
Article Synopsis
- International travel increases the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) due to factors like more sexual opportunities and the appeal of the sex industry.
- A study in Japan from October 2017 to December 2022 found that out of 4,545 travel-related illnesses, only 52 (1.1%) were STIs, predominantly affecting males with a median age of 31.
- The most common STIs reported were HIV (17%), genital herpes (13%), syphilis (13%), and gonorrhea (12%), highlighting the need for greater awareness and vaccination to prevent these infections.
Article Synopsis
- The 2022 global outbreak of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) and its 2023 sporadic cases underscored the need for effective nonpharmaceutical interventions like case isolation.
- A new modeling framework was created to analyze how long infected individuals remain infectious based on their viral load, revealing that viral shedding can vary significantly from 23 to 50 days.
- The study found that while existing symptom-based isolation guidelines are generally effective, switching to a testing-based rule could minimize unnecessary isolation after individuals are no longer infectious.
Background: NVX-CoV2373 is one of the vaccines marketed for COVID-19 prevention in Japan. Information on its cost-effectiveness is important for making well-informed decisions on the future of Japan's COVID-19 vaccination programme from the public healthcare payer's perspective. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of NVX-CoV2373 vaccination in the elderly Japanese population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The rise of antimicrobial-resistant organisms (AROs) is a significant concern for health in Japan, mainly driven by infections from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), leading to a high rate of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).
- Factors such as age, mortality rates in MRSA bacteremia patients, and lengthy hospital stays contribute to this issue, with Japan experiencing longer MRSA bacteremia onset times compared to Western countries.
- The findings call for better strategies to reduce hospital stays and highlight the need for larger studies to assess the full economic and health impacts of MRSA bacteremia in Japan.