Prevalence and genetic properties of Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium definitive phage type 104 isolated from Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus house rats in Yokohama City, Japan.

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium was isolated from the intestinal contents of Rattus rattus and Rattus norvegicus house rats captured at two buildings, designated buildings J and YS, in Yokohama City, Japan. From October 1997 to September 1998, 52 of 339 (15.3%) house rats were found to carry Salmonella serovar Typhimurium definitive phage type 104 (DT104).

[Molecular epidemiological analysis of an outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni using restriction enzyme double-digestion technique for genotyping of isolates by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis].

In an outbreak of gastroenteritis in elementary school students and their families in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, Campylobacter jejuni was isolated from the stools of 14 patients who developed diarrheal illness after a one-day bus trip. C. jejuni was also isolated from the stools of 3 patients not going on the bus trip.

Bisphenol A (BPA) and its source in foods in Japanese markets.

The determination of bisphenol A (BPA) and/or bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) in foods sold in Japanese markets and in water leached from six epoxy resin cans with similar diameters was carried out using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with electrochemical detection (LC/ECD), LC-mass spectrometric detection (LC/MS) and LC-tandem mass spectrometric detection (LC/MS/MS). BPA concentrations were 0-842 ng g(-1) for 48 canned foods, 0-14 ng g(-1) for 23 foods in plastic containers, and 0-1 ng g(-1) for 16 foods in paper containers. No BADGE was detected in three canned foods.

Genetic variability in the sapovirus capsid protein.

Sapovirus (SV), which causes gastroenteritis in humans, is composed of genetically divergent viruses classified into 5 genogroups. In this study, 2.2-kb nucleotide sequences of the 3' terminus of the genome of 15 SV strains detected in Japan were determined.

Detection and sequence-based typing of human adenoviruses using sensitive universal primer sets for the hexon gene.

The universal primer sets for identification of human adenovirus (HAdV) targeting hexon gene were designed and applied to 121 clinical samples suspected of HAdV infection. The primer sets amplified at least 20 HAdV reference strains of six species. Of these clinical samples, 81 (66.

The detection of human sapoviruses with universal and genogroup-specific primers.

Sapovirus (SV) causes gastroenteritis in humans and comprises genetically divergent viruses. A nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) targeting the capsid-protein-coding region was developed using universal and genogroup-specific primer sets. The universal primers were capable of detecting human SV genogroups I, II, IV and V.

Development and biological properties of a new live attenuated mumps vaccine.

To develop a new live attenuated mumps vaccine, a wild mumps Y7 strain isolated from a patient who developed mild parotitis was treated with nitrosoguanidine and ultraviolet, followed by selection of a temperature-sensitive clone. The selected clone, Y125, showed stable temperature-sensitivity in Vero cells. Intraspinal inoculation of marmosets with the Y125 produced only minimal histopathological changes, while intracerebral inoculation of neonatal rats revealed that the Y125 did not cause hydrocephalus.

Optimal settings of fingerprint-type analysing computer software for the analysis of enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns.

Settings of fingerprint-type analysing computer software were optimized for analysis of enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns. Under the lowest values of parameters, maximum value of similarities calculated using the Dice coefficient were obtained between PFGE patterns from one EHEC strain on the same gel when reference lanes for calibration of distortions during electrophoresis were set to every fourth lane. PFGE patterns of 15 EHEC strains on different gels were investigated.

Genetic and antigenic diversity among noroviruses.

Human norovirus (NoV) strains cause a considerable number of outbreaks of gastroenteritis worldwide. Based on their capsid gene (VP1) sequence, human NoV strains can be grouped into two genogroups (GI and GII) and at least 14 GI and 17 GII genotypes (GI/1-14 and GII/1-17). Human NoV strains cannot be propagated in cell-culture systems, but expression of recombinant VP1 in insect cells results in the formation of virus-like particles (VLPs).

Genetic analysis of noroviruses associated with fatalities in healthcare facilities.

Norovirus outbreaks occurred in 236 healthcare facilities for the elderly in Japan during the winter of 2004-2005. Three norovirus strains associated with three fatal clinical courses were isolated from geographically separate facilities and genetically analyzed along with three strains from non-fatal cases in the same season. All six isolates were classified as the GII-4 genotype.

[Cluster analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated in Chiba prefecture].

Methods for cluster analysis of IS6110 based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates were studied for an epidemiological investigation in Chiba prefecture. To normalize patterns, external size markers were adopted instead of typical internal size markers used in the standard method. RFLP patterns were run on 1.

Comparison between agarose gel electrophoresis and capillary electrophoresis for variable numbers of tandem repeat typing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Variable numbers of tandem repeat (VNTR) typing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was performed on 54 strains including 23 strains derived from 9 outbreaks. PCR amplicon sizes of 12 mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit tandem repeat loci were measured using both agarose gel electrophoresis and capillary electrophoresis. Similarities using agarose gel electrophoresis of Euclidian distances among the 23 strains derived from the 9 outbreaks were significantly lower than that using capillary electrophoresis (Wilcoxon signed ranks test, P < 0.

Genetic analysis of noroviruses in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, between 1999 and 2004.

Noroviruses (NVs) are common pathogens that consist of genetically divergent viruses that induce gastroenteritis in humans and animals. Between September 1999 and June 2004, 1,898 samples obtained from patients showing sporadic or outbreak gastroenteritis in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, were tested for NVs by reverse transcription-PCR. NVs were detected in 603 samples.

[Comparison between biotype of Vibrio cholerae O1 and genotype using polymerase chain reaction].

To compare between biotype of Vibrio cholerae O1 and genotype using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), 9 classical and 81 El Tor biovar strains were investigated for hemolysis, agglutination of avian erythrocytes, VP test reactivity, sensitivity to both polymyxin B and classical phage IV, and genotype using PCR amplification of hlyA, tcpA, rtxA and rtxC. One classical biovar strain showed atypical reaction upon agglutination of avian erythrocytes. Eighteen El Tor biovar strains showed atypical reactions, with the exception of sensitivity to polymyxin B.

The marked increase of Listeria monocytogenes isolation from contents of swine cecum.

The actual prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes from contents of swine cecum was investigated. The efficiency of Listeria enrichment broth (LEB) for isolation was examined by the recovery of artificially inoculated L. monocytogenes in contents of swine cecum.

Influence of bacteriocin-like substance, generation times, and genetic profiles of Listeria innocua on the isolation of Listeria monocytogenes.

Inhibition of isolation of Listeria monocytogenes by bacteriocin-like substance (BLS)-producing Listeria innocua after enrichment culture was investigated. When 26 L. monocytogenes strains were examined in combination with eight L.

[Isolation of Listeria monocytogenes from a patient with sealed ruptured thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm].

We are reporting a case of sealed rupture of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm associated with the isolation of Listeria monocytogenes. The patient was a 75-year-old man with previous history of hypertension that had not required medication for the 3 years prior to hospital admission. He was admitted due to chest pain, but he was afebrile.

Neurovirulence of mumps virus: intraspinal inoculation test in marmosets.

An intraspinal inoculation test of mumps virus using marmosets was performed in order to develop a neurovirulence test of mumps vaccines. In the group inoculated with non-neurovirulent Jeryl Lynn vaccine strain at 10(2.0) pfu/dose, there were only minimal histopathological changes in 3 of the 5 marmosets.

[Simultaneous determination of residual fourteen kinds of beta-lactam and macrolide antibiotics in bovine muscles by high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector].

Residues of 14 kinds of beta-lactam and macrolide antibiotics in bovine muscles were extracted with acetonitrile and the extract was partitioned with n-hexane to remove fat. High-performance liquid chromatography was carried out on a TSK-gel ODS-80TM column using gradient elution with acetonitrile-0.05% trifluoroacetic acid and the drugs were quantitated by diode array detection.

Broad-spectrum detection of papillomaviruses in bovine teat papillomas and healthy teat skin.

To investigate the prevalence of bovine papillomavirus (BPV) in bovine papilloma and healthy skin, DNA extracted from teat papillomas and healthy teat skin swabs was analysed by PCR using the primer pairs FAP59/FAP64 and MY09/MY11. Papillomavirus (PV) DNA was detected in all 15 papilloma specimens using FAP59/FAP64 and in 8 of the 15 papilloma specimens using MY09/MY11. In swab samples, 21 and 8 of the 122 samples were PV DNA positive using FAP59/FAP64 and MY09/MY11, respectively.

Characterization of human rotavirus strains with G12 and P[9] detected in Japan.

Two G12 human rotavirus strains, CP727 and CP1030, were isolated from the respective diarrheic stools of an infant and an adult in Japan. VP7 gene sequences of strains CP727 and CP1030 showed high identity with that of the G12 prototype strain L26, and with those of G12 strains reported recently from Thailand, the United States, and India. VP4 gene sequences of strains CP727 and CP1030 showed the highest identity with those of P[9] rotaviruses.

Inhibition of seawater on bisphenol A (BPA) degradation by Fenton reagents.

To investigate bisphenol-A (BPA) degradation in seawater using Fenton reagents, changes in the BPA recovery and in the concentration of BPA metabolite, BPA-o-quinone in the three water samples; BPA free deionizad water (control water), 3% aq. NaCl and seawater as a function of time after BPA fortification in the presence of radical oxygen species (ROS) at 20 degrees C were investigated. The BPA recoveries were lower in both 3% aq.

[Measles antibody followed after measles vaccination: comparison with gelatin beads agglutination (PA) antibody, hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody and IgG-avidity].

The immunity status of 37 cases has been tested at 6 weeks and 3.5 years after vaccination by using gelatin beads agglutination (PA), hemagglutination inhibition (HI) and avidity of specific IgG. The geometric mean titer (GMT) of HI antibody was 34.