Japan: HAV=56%,HBV=79%,HCV=69%,HDV=23%,HEV=0%,HGV=1%,TTV=27%,AIDS=1,000 cases by 1995

February 7, 2000

Japan:

126 million people

No. 9 of top 25

% Population with a virus =

HAV=56%

HBV=79%

HCV=1%-69% [in 'Endemic Area']

HDV=23%

HEV=0%

HGV=1%

TTV=27%

AIDS=1,000 cases by 1995

HAV

------

Gastroenterol Jpn 1981;16(4):384-8

Age specific prevalence of anti HA in Japan--from multi-institutional

analysis.

Ichida F, Suzuki S, Furuta S, Takahashi Y, Yamamoto M, Tanaka M, Yano M

In order to estimate age specific prevalence of Anti HA in Japan, 1757 serum

samples from healthy subjects or patients with nonhepatic disease taken in 6

different districts of Japan were tested for Anti HA using HAVAB Kit. Very

low prevalence, less than 10%, was observed in young adults or children.

These facts indicate the young Japanese are quite susceptible to HAV

infection and the effective preventive measures are urgently needed.

Over all prevalence of Anti HA was 56.2%.

Comparing the age specific prevalence of Anti HA in Japan with those in

other countries, the situation in Japan was in intermediate between highly

endemic South-East region and developed European countries.

PMID: 6269942, UI: 82028501

HBV

------

Am J Epidemiol 1983 May;117(5):610-20

The relationship of hepatitis B surface antigen and antibody to atomic bomb

radiation in the Adult Health Study sample, 1975-1977.

Kato H, Mayumi M, Nishioka K, Hamilton HB

A frequency of positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibody

(anti-HBs) was determined among 2566 atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and

Nagasaki, Japan during the two-year period 1975 to 1977.

The frequency of positive HBsAg (79% of subjects remained persistently

antigen positive) was significantly higher in those exposed to 100 rad or

more than in the controls.

This difference between exposure groups was more marked among the younger

age groups.

However, contrary to expectation, there was no difference between the dose

groups in the distribution by high vs. low titers among the antigen-positive

individuals.

There was no difference between the two comparison groups in the occurrence

of positive anti-HBs reactions (prevalence of hepatitis B virus).

The above findings suggest that immune competence, using the prevalence of

positive HBsAg as an index, is depressed in the high dose group, but further

study, including follow-up of those with persistent positive HBsAg

reactions, is called for.

With respect to HBsAg subtypes, adr occurs with higher and adw with lower

frequency in Nagasaki than in Hiroshima, corresponding to earlier reports

for the Japan archipelago of reverse and complementary distributions of

these two subtypes.

PMID: 6846318, UI: 83201183

HCV

------

Intervirology 1999 Sep;42(2-3):153-158

Epidemiology of Hepatitis C Virus in Japan.

Moriya T, Koyama T, Tanaka J, Mishiro S, Yoshizawa H

Department of Hygiene, Hiroshima University School of Medicine, Hiroshima,

Japan.

Blood screening for hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies at Japanese Red Cross

blood centers has indicated an age-dependent prevalence of HCV infection in

the general population of Japan: the older the age, the higher the

prevalence.

The same pattern was corroborated by the sentinel study conducted in an

HCV-endemic area.

The high prevalence of HCV in the elderly is most likely due to a spread of

HCV infection during the turmoil period just after World War II: in

particular by illicit intravenous amphetamine abuse.

Fortunately, however, since the rate of newly acquired infection is

currently too low to influence HCV prevalence in each age group, the total

number of HCV carriers (estimated to be 691,852 for the age group 20-64

years) would decrease spontaneously with generation takeover to

approximately 50% of the current number during the decade to come.

PMID: 10516469

Note:

about 6% = 700,00 with HCV divided by 126 million times 100% = 5.5%

HDV

------

J Med Virol 1995 Mar;45(3):312-5

Seroepidemiological study of hepatitis delta virus infection in Okinawa,

Japan.

Sakugawa H, Nakasone H, Shokita H, Nakayoshi T, Kinjo F, Saito A, Yamashiro

A, Miyagi Y

First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, School of

Medicine, University Hospital, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.

A seroepidemiological study on hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection was

conducted in the Okinawan islands, the area of Japan where hepatitis B virus

infection is most prevalent. The subjects of this study included 116

asymptomatic hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers, 48 patients with

chronic hepatitis (CH), 19 with liver cirrhosis (LC), and 11 with

hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Among the 194 serum samples examined, a

total of 10 (5.2%) were anti-HDV seropositive. Anti-HDV was detected in 2

(1.7%) of the 116 asymptomatic HBsAg carriers, in 3 (6.3%) of the 48

patients with CH, and in 5 (26.3%) of the 19 with LC. However, none of the

patients with HCC had detectable anti-HDV. Eight of the 10 were born in the

Miyako island group and the remaining 2 on the main island of Okinawa. Since

the subjects included 34 individuals who were living and/or born in the

Miyako islands, the positive rate of

anti-HDV in the islands was 23.5%.

This study demonstrates the existence of an endemic area of HDV infection in

Japan.

PMID: 7775953, UI: 95294559

HEV

------

Rinsho Byori 1995 Nov;43(11):1095-100

[The screening of hepatitis virus and its efficacy].

[Article in Japanese]

Kuroki T, Murai J, Fujino K, Ozaki S, Nakagishi M, Toukaiya M

Blood Center of Osaka City Medical School.

1. Infection of hepatitis A virus (HAV) was prevented with hepatitis A

vaccine. High risk groups of HAV infection should be inoculated this vaccine

because Japanese peoples less than 40 years old didn't have immunity for

HAV. 2.

Infection of hepatitis E virus (HEV) was scarcely observed in Japan.

3. Infection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) by blood transfusion was eradicated

after the screening with anti-HBc antibody for blood donors. And maternal

transmissions of HBV and infections of HBV in hospital were protected by

HB-globulin and hepatitis B vaccine. 4. Infection of hepatitis D virus (HDV)

was protected by HB-globulin and hepatitis B vaccine. 5. Infection of

hepatitis C virus (HCV) by blood transfusion markedly decreased after the

screening with anti-HCV for blood donors. We can't prevent a maternal

transmission of HCV but its frequency is low (about 10%). And acute

hepatitis C due to an infection of HCV in hospital can be prevented by the

treatment with interferon in the Workmen's Accident Compensation Insurance.

Publication Types:

Review

Review, tutorial

PMID: 8551671, UI: 96094194

But, in animals...................

HCV = human coronavirus and

HEV = swine haemagglutinating encephalomyelitis

Epidemiol Infect 1999 Jun;122(3):545-51

Pigs with highly prevalent antibodies to human coronavirus and swine

haemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus in the Tohoku District of Japan.

Hirano N, Suzuki Y, Haga S

Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Iwate University, Morioka, Japan.

From 1985 to 1988, a total of 2496 swine sera from 60 farms in the Tohoku

District of the Honshu Island of Japan were examined for antibodies to swine

haemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus (HEV), human coronavirus (HCV) and

bovine coronavirus (BCV) by haemagglutination-inhibition (HI) test.

Antibodies to HEV 67N strain and HCV OC43 strain were highly prevalent with

positivity rates of

82.1 and 91.4%, respectively,

while seropositivity rate to BCV Kakegawa strain was 44.2%. No clinical

signs of HEV infection were noticed in any farms including farms with

relatively high seropositivity. The results suggested that HCV or

antigenitically related virus(es) as well as HEV might be perpetuated in

swine in the Tohoku District.

PMID: 10459660, UI: 99387416

HGV

-------

J Viral Hepat 1996 Nov;3(6):307-16

Prevalence and disease association of hepatitis G virus infection in Japan.

Nakatsuji Y, Shih JW, Tanaka E, Kiyosawa K, Wages J Jr, Kim JP, Alter HJ

Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda,

MD 20852, USA.

A reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction procedure (RT-PCR) for the

detection of hepatitis G virus (HGV) RNA was used to examine the prevalence

of HGV infection and HGV-related disease in Japan. Among 48 patients with

acute non-A, B, C, D, E (non-A-E) hepatitis (five transfusion-associated

cases and 43 sporadic cases), only one patient (2%), a transfusion

recipient, was HGV RNA positive. Similarly, among 50 patients with

established chronic non-A-E hepatitis, only two (4%) were positive for HGV

RNA. These frequencies were not significantly different from those in 129

voluntary blood donors (0.8%). By contrast, HGV infection was relatively

common among patients who were also infected with other hepatitis viruses.

HGV co-infection or superinfection was found in seven of 53 (13%) patients

with acute hepatitis C, in 15 of 126 (12%) patients with chronic hepatitis

C, in three of 21 (14%) patients with acute hepatitis B and in four of 81

(5%) patients with chronic hepatitis B. Among the 29 dually infected

patients, 15 (52%) had a history of blood transfusion. HGV was also detected

in seven (10%) of 69 haemodialysis patients, of whom only one had a dual

infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and an elevated aminotransferase

level. In conclusion: HGV RNA was found in only a low percentage of patients

with either acute or chronic non-A-E hepatitis: HGV appears to co-infect or

superinfect in 10-15% of HCV infections and in 5-15% of HBV infections; the

prevalence of HGV infection (0.8%) among voluntary blood donors in Japan is

similar to that for HCV infection;

a history of blood transfusion was

obtained in 22 (55%) of the total 40 HGV-positive subjects; and isolated HGV

infection appears to have a low disease burden.

PMID: 8947882, UI: 97103511

TTV

------

J Gastroenterol 1999 Oct;34(5):589-93

Prevalence of TT virus in patients with fulminant hepatic failure in Japan.

Tanaka M, Nishiguchi S, Tanaka T, Enomoto M, Takeda T, Shiomi S, Kuroki T,

Otani S

Second Department of Biochemistry, Osaka City University Medical School,

Osaka, Japan.

A novel virus (TT virus) was isolated from patients with posttransfusion

hepatitis of unknown etiology.

We studied the prevalence of TT virus in 26 patients with fulminant hepatic

failure without risk factors, including blood transfusion, and also examined

106 healthy blood donors as controls.

We assayed serum TT virus DNA by seminested polymerase chain reactions and

also examined the genotypes of this virus.

Serum was obtained at admission from patients with fulminant hepatic

failure.

Serum samples at admission from seven

(27%) of the 26 patients were positive for TT virus DNA.

There were no differences in clinical findings, duration from onset to coma,

or results of laboratory tests in patients with and without TT virus DNA.

However, all 7 patients with TT virus died, whereas 9 of the 19 patients

without TT virus died.

The outcome for patients with fulminant hepatic failure and TT virus was

significantly worse than for patients without the virus (P = 0.0227).

TT virus was also detected in 29 (27%) of the 106 healthy blood donors.

The genotype of the TT virus was mainly 1a in both groups.

There were no differences in the rate of positivity and the genotypes of TT

virus between patients with fulminant hepatic failure and healthy blood

donors.

TT virus infection may not cause severe hepatitis, such as fulminant hepatic

failure, but it may indicate a poor outcome in such patients.

PMID: 10535486, UI: 20004144

HIV

-----

J Epidemiol 1996 Aug;6(3 Suppl):S13-7

Epidemiological studies in Japan.

Hirohata T

Department of Food and Nutrition Sciences, Nakamura Gakuen University,

Fukuoka, Japan.

The present article provides an overview of epidemiological studies in

Japan. The origin of modern epidemiology of Japan can be traced back into

the late 19th century. Baron K. Takaki at that time made brilliant

epidemiological studies on beriberi and was thus able to eradicate the

disease long before vitamin B1 deficiency was identified as the cause of the

disease. Epidemiological studies really began to flourish in Japan after the

end of World War II. Since the most of infectious diseases have been

controlled, epidemiological studies on cancer, heart disease, stroke, and

other chronic diseases have become the main target of investigations. It may

be cautioned that, among infectious diseases, tuberculosis is still a

serious health problem today and

HIV infection has become a threatening health issue although the number of

AIDS patients reported was still about 1,000 for the whole country in 1995.

In contrast to other industrialized countries, heart disease is far less

common in Japan, probably reflecting still not-too-rich diet among Japanese.

There are a number of unique or unusual epidemiological studies in Japan,

including a long-term surveillance of those who were exposed to A-bomb

irradiation in 1945. Readers are encouraged to refer to detailed description

of each, specific topic presented in this volume. Essential vital statistics

are also presented as background information of epidemiological studies in

Japan.

Publication Types:

Historical article

Biography

Personal Name as Subject:

Takaki K

PMID: 8800269, UI: 96393482

February 7, 2000