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Leech as potential vectors in Japanese Spotted Fever and their epidemiological study

Research Project

Project/Area Number 19K23972
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Review Section 0902:General internal medicine and related fields
Research InstitutionFukushima Medical University (2021-2022)
Nagasaki University (2019-2020)

Principal Investigator

Sando Eiichiro  福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (30849542)

Project Period (FY) 2019-08-30 – 2023-03-31
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2022)
Budget Amount *help
¥2,860,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥660,000)
Fiscal Year 2020: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
Keywords発疹熱 / 日本紅斑熱 / つつが虫病 / リケッチア感染症 / ヤマビル / ダニ / ベクター媒介感染症 / リケッチア症 / リケッチア / ヒル / リケッチア・ジャポニカ
Outline of Research at the Start

日本紅斑熱は、Rickettsia japonicaが原因微生物であり、マダニ以外の媒介生物は知られていない。
しかし申請者は、ヤマビル咬傷による日本紅斑熱の発症例に加え、同疾患の13%がヤマビル咬傷後の発症であったことを報告し、ヤマビルを新規の媒介生物の一つと推定している。
そこで本研究では、
① 千葉県南房総で、ヤマビルの体内からR. japonicaを検出し、
② 同地域でヤマビルの吸血被害の実態と、R. japonica抗体保有率との相関を評価し、予防や啓発に役立てることを目標とする。

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We were unable to detect Rickettsia japonica DNA, the causative pathogen of Japanese spotted fever, in 175 leech specimens. However, we obtained novel seroepidemiological findings. Rickettsial infections in southern Chiba Prefecture, which were previously thought to be caused by tsutsugamushi disease and Japanese spotted fever, were found to have the highest antibody positivity rate for Rickettsia typhi, the pathogen causing murine typhus. Furthermore, we investigated the serological cross-reactivity between R. japonica and R. typhi. Both IgM and IgG cross-reactivity were observed at a frequency of approximately 20%. Moreover, by comparing antibody titers during the acute and convalescent phases, we were able to differentiate between the two diseases in most cases showing cross-reactivity.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

リケッチア感染症の一つである発疹熱は、元々風土病として知られていたが、リケッチア感染症の報告は第4類感染症のつつが虫病や日本紅斑熱がほとんどで、届出義務のない発疹熱の国内事例はほとんど報告がなかった。今回、リケッチア感染症の流行地域で研究を行い、血清疫学的につつが虫病や日本紅斑熱よりも、発疹熱(Rickettsia typhi)の抗体陽性率が最も高く、同時に日本紅斑熱患者における交差反応はあっても限定的であることも明らかにした。つまり、ほとんどの発疹熱患者が診断されていなかったことを示唆している。そのため、発疹熱の診断と報告体制の構築が、実態把握のために喫緊の課題であることを示した。

Report

(5 results)
  • 2022 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report ( PDF )
  • 2021 Research-status Report
  • 2020 Research-status Report
  • 2019 Research-status Report
  • Research Products

    (3 results)

All 2023 2022

All Journal Article (1 results) (of which Peer Reviewed: 1 results,  Open Access: 1 results) Presentation (2 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 2 results)

  • [Journal Article] Serological cross-reactivity between spotted fever and typhus groups of rickettsia infection in Japan2023

    • Author(s)
      Tetsuro Aita, Eiichiro Sando, Shungo Katoh, Sugihiro Hamaguchi, Hiromi Fujita, Noriaki Kurita
    • Journal Title

      International Journal of Infectious Diseases

      Volume: 130 Pages: 178-181

    • DOI

      10.1016/j.ijid.2023.03.012

    • Related Report
      2022 Annual Research Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
  • [Presentation] Non-negligible seroprevalence of murine typhus and its predictors in Japan: A large-scale seroepidemiological study2022

    • Author(s)
      Tetsuro Aita, Eiichiro Sando, Shungo Katoh, Sugihiro Hamaguchi, Noriaki Kurita
    • Organizer
      ACP Internal Medicine Meeting
    • Related Report
      2022 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Non-negligible seroprevalence of murine typhus and its predictors in Japan: a large-scale seroepidemiological study2022

    • Author(s)
      Aita T, Kurita N, Katoh S, Hamaguchi S, Sando E.
    • Organizer
      ACP Internal Medicine Meeting 2022, Apr 28, 2022; Web/Chicago
    • Related Report
      2021 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research

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Published: 2019-09-03   Modified: 2024-01-30  

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