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Updated: Jun 2, 2026
Remote Laboratory Management: Respiratory Virus Diagnostics
Published on: April 6, 2019
[Notable imported infectious diseases]
1Department of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo Metropolitan Bokutoh General Hospital.
Abstract:
Japanese doctors are somewhat unfamiliar with imported infectious diseases, however, the following imported infectious diseases are notable: cholera, which is currently endemic in Haiti and which there is a possibility of it being imported to Japan from endemic areas; typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever, whose causative organisms showing low sensitivity to fluoroquinolones have become predominant; rabies, which exhibits a high mortality; avian influenza H5N1, which has the possibility of changing into a new type of human influenza; chikungunya fever, in which the number of Japanese patients is increasing; and cyclosporiasis, which led to a number of food poisonings in the USA and Canada, and as a growing number of Japanese travel abroad, the number of infected Japanese patients returning from endemic areas will increase. It is thus important to identify the presence of these diseases on diagnosis.
Insights
Japanese doctors need to be aware of imported infectious diseases like cholera, typhoid, and avian influenza (H5N1). Early diagnosis is crucial as travel increases the risk of these diseases entering Japan.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
- Global Epidemiology
Background:
- Japanese medical professionals have limited familiarity with imported infectious diseases.
- Increased international travel poses a growing risk of disease importation to Japan.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight notable imported infectious diseases relevant to Japan.
- To emphasize the importance of timely diagnosis for specific imported pathogens.
Main Methods:
- Review of current global infectious disease trends.
- Analysis of disease importation risks based on geographical endemicity and travel patterns.
Main Results:
- Identified key imported diseases: cholera, fluoroquinolone-resistant typhoid/paratyphoid fever, rabies, avian influenza H5N1, chikungunya fever, and cyclosporiasis.
- Noted increasing chikungunya cases in Japan and cyclosporiasis outbreaks abroad affecting travelers.
Conclusions:
- Prompt identification of these diseases during diagnosis is essential for public health in Japan.
- Vigilance is required due to the potential for novel strains (e.g., H5N1) and increasing imported cases.
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