Serological Survey of Rhinovirus Infections in Japan

Abstract

Serological evidence for dissemination of rhinovirus serotypes 3, 5, 13, 14, 17, 26, 30 and 41, and a Japanese isolate 149N, which has not been typed as yet. was obtained by measuring neutralizing antibody in a total of 750 serum samples collected in Iwate Prefecture, a northern part of the main island Honshu of Japan, in 1965 to 1969. Judging from the age-specific antibody incidence curves obtained by testing sera from outpatients at Iwate Medical College Hospital, the circulation of types 13, 14, 30 and 41 seems more active than that of types 3, 5. 17 and 26. Comparison in the age-specific antibody incidence between two groups of sera col-lected from outpatients at the hospital over different periods, October 1968-June 1969 and February-August 1968, revealed very active circulation of types 13, 14 and 30 over the period between the collections as compared with type 41. Some differences in the age preference were shown among the serotypes. The results of tests in different cities showed marked differences in the antibody distribution by age depending upon the place and serotype. Seroconversion was shown in some individuals who were tested one year apart. These findings are interpreted to indicate that there is a constant flux in the serotypes infecting any given population, and that several serotypes are usually circulating almost simultaneously.