[Prevention and control of influenza infection in the elderly in Japan--special emphasis on high risk group patients].
These days, in the Japanese society the aged group which involve the high risk group patients has grown rapidly. In Japan, at present small epidemics of A Hong Kong (H3N2) and A Soviet (H1N1) influenza have occurred and influenza B has concurrent infection. However Asian type A (H2N2) virus disappeared since 1968. If Asian strain appeared again, most people of less than thirty years old with high risk group patients would have severe infection. We are afraid of the appearance of the new type A virus, because a great number of high risk group patients of aged people are there in Japan. Among the developed countries, vaccination against influenza in Japan is not satisfactory. Therefore mucosal immunity as well as humoral immunity in Japanese people will be worse compared with the people of the USA. We should establish the surveillance system for influenza in the adult and aged people in Japan and confirm the prevention and control procedures for the influenza epidemic new and in future.
Matsumoto
K
K
Nagasaki University.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control; D012307:Risk Factors