Survey of Francisella tularensis in Wild Animals in Japan in Areas Where Tularemia is Endemic

Akitoyo Hotta; Kiyoshi Tanabayashi; Osamu Fujita; Junji Shindo; Chu-Ho Park; Noboru Kudo; Hitoshi Hatai; Toshifumi Oyamada; Yoshie Yamamoto; Ai Takano; Hiroki Kawabata; Neekun Sharma; Akihiko Uda; Akio Yamada; Shigeru Morikawa

doi:10.7883/yoken.JJID.2015.351

Short Communication

Survey of Francisella tularensis in Wild Animals in Japan in Areas Where Tularemia is Endemic

Akitoyo Hotta, Kiyoshi Tanabayashi, Osamu Fujita, Junji Shindo, Chu-Ho Park, Noboru Kudo, Hitoshi Hatai, Toshifumi Oyamada, Yoshie Yamamoto, Ai Takano, Hiroki Kawabata, Neekun Sharma, Akihiko Uda, Akio Yamada, Shigeru Morikawa

Author information

Akitoyo Hotta
Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases
Kiyoshi Tanabayashi
Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases
Osamu Fujita
Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases
Junji Shindo
Department of Wildlife Science, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University
Chu-Ho Park
Department of Veterinary Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University
Noboru Kudo
Department of Parasitology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University
Hitoshi Hatai
Department of Veterinary Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University
Toshifumi Oyamada
Department of Veterinary Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University
Yoshie Yamamoto
Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases
Ai Takano
Laboratory of Epidemiology, Joint-faculty of veterinary medicine, Yamaguchi University
Hiroki Kawabata
Department of Bacteriology I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases
Neekun Sharma
Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases
The United Graduate School of Veterinary Science Gifu University
Akihiko Uda
Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases
Akio Yamada
Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo
Shigeru Morikawa
Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases

Keywords: Francisella tularensis, tularemia, wild animals

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2016 Volume 69 Issue 5 Pages 431-434

DOI https://doi.org/10.7883/yoken.JJID.2015.351

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Details

Abstract

Samples taken from 428 wild animals and 126 ticks, collected from a tularemia-endemic area in Japan between 2005 and 2013, were analyzed for the presence of Francisella tularensis. F. tularensis was isolated from a Japanese hare carcass whereas the samples from live animals and ticks were negative for F. tularensis by real-time PCR. Our results suggest that F. tularensis is still present in Japan although its prevalence is considerably low even in areas where tularemia is endemic.

Corresponding author

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