Epidemiology of tick-borne encephalitis in Japan.
A tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) patient has not been reported for many years in Japan although a serological survey of domestic animal sera suggested the presence of TBE foci in Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan. In October 1993 in Hokkaido, a severe encephalitis case in a farm wife was diagnosed as tick-borne encephalitis. Serological examination of paired sera showed a rise of neutralization (NT) antibody titer to Russian spring summer encephalitis virus. A sero-epizootiological survey of dogs showed that the TBE-related virus was prevalent in the area. Three virus isolates were obtained from the blood of sentinel dogs and the antigenic analysis grouped the isolates into TBE-related viruses. Sequence analysis of envelope protein gene identified one of the isolates as the same subtype as Russian spring summer encephalitis (Far-Eastern TBE) virus. The results provide the evidence that TBE is endemic in a certain area of Japan.
Takashima
I
I
Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D001096:Arachnid Vectors; D002417:Cattle; D003612:Dairying; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004285:Dogs; D004664:Encephalitis Virus, Japanese / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D004669:Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D004672:Encephalitis, Japanese / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004675:Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / Q000662:veterinary; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009500:Neutralization Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013987:Ticks
D000914:Antibodies, Viral