[Isolation of Neisseria meningitidis from healthy persons in Japan].
Between September 2000 and March 2003 healthy subjects in 10 prefectures of Japan were investigated to identify carriers of Neisseria meningitidis. Twenty-five N. meningitidis strains were isolated from 5886 throat swab specimens collected from healthy persons, such as students, elderly, and foreigners. Of the 25 carriers, 9 were teenagers, 15 were in their twenties, and only one was in the fifties. The male-female ratio of the carriers was 17 to 8, showing male dominance. The serogroups of the 25 strains were B (9 strains), Y (4 strains) and non-groupable (12 strains). One of the strains was found to be deficient in gamma-glutamyl aminopeptidase activity, which is an identification marker for N. meningitidis.
Tanaka
Hiroshi
H
Ishikawa Prefectural Institute of Public Health and Environmental Science.
Kuroki
Toshiro
T
Watanabe
Yuko
Y
Asai
Yoshio
Y
Ootani
Katsumi
K
Sugama
Kumiko
K
Serikawa
Toshihiko
T
Nakajima
Hiroshi
H
Sunahara
Chizuko
C
Hoashi
Kikuo
K
Yamaguchi
Yoshitaka
Y
Kudaka
Jun
J
Takahashi
Hideyuki
H
Inouye
Hiroo
H
Yamai
Shiro
S
Masukawa
Kunihiko
K
Watanabe
Haruo
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000382:microbiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000302:isolation & purification*