title: [Isolation of Neisseria meningitidis from healthy persons in Japan].
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Ishikawa Prefectural Institute of Public Health and Environmental Science.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuroki
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asai
authors.forename: Katsumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ootani
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugama
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Serikawa
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Chizuko
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sunahara
authors.forename: Kikuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hoashi
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kudaka
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Hiroo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inouye
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamai
authors.forename: Kunihiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Masukawa
authors.forename: Haruo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: 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*