Tick surveillance for Borrelia miyamotoi and phylogenetic analysis of isolates in Mongolia and Japan.

Borrelia miyamotoi, recently recognized as a human pathogenic spirochete, was isolated from Ixodes persulcatus and I. ovatus in northern Mongolia and Honshu Island, a major island in Japan. Although no human B.

An Ecological Survey of Mosquitoes and the Distribution of Japanese Encephalitis Virus in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, between 2010 and 2014.

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a flavivirus, responsible for over 30,000 annual cases of encephalitis worldwide, with a mortality rate of approximately 30%. Therefore, it is important to examine the distribution of mosquitos carrying JEV in the fields, even though recently, the number of Japanese encephalitis cases has been approximately 5 per year in Japan. We report the seasonal dynamics of mosquitoes between 2010 and 2014 in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan.

In vivo imaging of radial keratoneuritis in patients with Acanthamoeba keratitis by anterior-segment optical coherence tomography.

Purpose: To investigate in vivo corneal changes of radial keratoneuritis in early-stage Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) using anterior-segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT).

Design: Single-center, prospective clinical study.

Participants: Four eyes (4 patients with a mean age of 28.

PCR detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi in Ixodes persulcatus ticks in Mongolia.

A molecular epidemiological survey was conducted to identify the tick-borne disease agents Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Selenge Province, Mongolia. The survey was in response to a suspected A. phagocytophilum infection in a patient.

Genetic characterization of clinical acanthamoeba isolates from Japan using nuclear and mitochondrial small subunit ribosomal RNA.

Because of an increased number of Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) along with associated disease burdens, medical professionals have become more aware of this pathogen in recent years. In this study, by analyzing both the nuclear 18S small subunit ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) and mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene loci, 27 clinical Acanthamoeba strains that caused AK in Japan were classified into 3 genotypes, T3 (3 strains), T4 (23 strains), and T5 (one strain). Most haplotypes were identical to the reference haplotypes reported from all over the world, and thus no specificity of the haplotype distribution in Japan was found.

In vivo laser confocal microscopy findings of radial keratoneuritis in patients with early stage Acanthamoeba keratitis.

Objective: To investigate in vivo corneal changes of keratoneuritis in early stage Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) using in vivo laser confocal microscopy.

Design: Single-center, prospective, clinical study.

Participants: Thirteen eyes (12 patients; 5 men and 7 women; mean age ± standard deviation, 22.

Ex vivo laser confocal microscopy findings of cultured Acanthamoeba trophozoites.

Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to investigate ex vivo laser confocal microscopic findings of cultured Acanthamoeba trophozoites obtained from Acanthamoeba keratitis patients.

Methods: Eight cultured samples of Acanthamoeba trophozoites from eight eyes of seven patients (mean age, 26.9 years; age range, 18-52 years) were used.

Bowman's layer encystment in cases of persistent Acanthamoeba keratitis.

Background: The purpose of this study was to report Acanthamoeba encystment in Bowman's layer in Japanese cases of persistent Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK).

Methods: Laser confocal microscopic images of the cornea were obtained in vivo from 18 consecutive eyes from 17 confirmed AK patients. Retrospectively, 14 cases treated over 4 months were categorized as a nonpersistent group and three cases that required prolonged therapy for more than 6 months were categorized as a persistent group.

Observation of live ticks (Haemaphysalis flava) by scanning electron microscopy under high vacuum pressure.

Scanning electron microscopes (SEM), which image sample surfaces by scanning with an electron beam, are widely used for steric observations of resting samples in basic and applied biology. Various conventional methods exist for SEM sample preparation. However, conventional SEM is not a good tool to observe living organisms because of the associated exposure to high vacuum pressure and electron beam radiation.

In vivo and ex vivo laser confocal microscopy findings in patients with early-stage acanthamoeba keratitis.

Objective: This study included in vivo and ex vivo investigations of patients with early-stage Acanthamoeba keratitis by using new-generation laser confocal microscopy (Heidelberg Retina Tomograph 2 Rostock Cornea Module [HRT 2-RCM]).

Methods: Three patients (2 men and 1 woman; mean age, 22.0 years) with early-stage Acanthamoeba keratitis diagnosed by direct examination (Parker ink-potassium hydroxide stain), culture from corneal epithelial scrapings, or both methods were enrolled in this study.