Hitoshi Oshitani

Better preparedness for an influenza pandemic mitigates its impact. Many countries have started developing and implementing national influenza pandemic preparedness plans. However, the level of preparedness varies among countries. Developing countries encounter unique and difficult issues and challenges in preparing for a pandemic. Deaths attributable to an influenza pandemic could be substantially higher in developing countries than in industrialized countries. Pharmaceutical interventions such

We previously detected enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) in children with severe acute respiratory infections in the Philippines in 2008-2009. Since then, the detection frequency of EV-D68 has increased in different parts of the world, and EV-D68 is now recognized as a reemerging pathogen. However, the epidemiological profile and clinical significance of EV-D68 is yet to be defined, and the virological characteristics of EV-D68 are not fully understood. Recent studies have revealed that EV-D68 is detecte

Influenza A virus infects many species, and amantadine is used as an antiviral agent. Recently, a substantial increase in amantadine-resistant strains has been reported, most of which have a substitution at amino acid position 31 in the M2 gene. Understanding the mechanism responsible for the emergence and spread of antiviral resistance is important for developing a treatment protocol for seasonal influenza and for deciding on a policy for antiviral stockpiling for pandemic influenza. The presen

Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is a major cause of acute lower respiratory tract infections in infants and children worldwide. We performed molecular analysis of HRSV among infants and children with clinical diagnosis of severe pneumonia in four study sites in the Philippines, including Biliran, Leyte, Palawan, and Metro Manila from June 2012 to July 2013. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected and screened for HRSV using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Positive samples were te

Human rhinovirus (HRV) C was recently identified as the third species of HRV using a molecular technique. Infections caused by previously identified HRVs (A and B) are thought to be limited to the respiratory tract; however, pathogenesis of HRVC is still largely unknown. A total of 816 nasopharyngeal swabs from hospitalized children with severe respiratory infections in the Philippines (May 2008-May 2009) were tested for HRV by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and 243 sa

Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance has been conducted as part of the World Health Organization (WHO) strategy on poliomyelitis eradication. Aside from poliovirus, which is the target pathogen, isolation, and identification of non-polio enteroviruses (NPEVs) is also done by neutralization test using pools of antisera which can only identify limited number of NPEVs. In the Philippines, despite the significant number of isolated NPEVs, no information is available with regard to its occurren

Surveys on influenza vaccination and illness in long-term-care facilities in Niigata Prefecture during an influenza A (H3N2) epidemic revealed that >20% of facilities had outbreaks and >10% of residents experienced influenza. Outbreaks and number of cases were significantly reduced by vaccination, which should be strongly recommended for institutionalized elderly people.

In 2004, concurrent measles and rubella outbreaks occurred in four camps hosting 2767 Liberian refugees in Côte d'Ivoire. Sixty rash and fever cases were identified. From 19 January to 23 February 2004 (weeks 8-13), measles IgM testing showed that 61.1% were positive. The highest incidence rate (18.5%) of measles was observed in children aged <9 months. Ninety-three percent of children aged between 6 months and 15 years received a measles vaccine during week 13, but the rash and fever cases cont

Rabies is endemic in the Philippines and dog bites are a major cause of rabies cases in humans. The rabies control program has not been successful in eliminating rabies because of low vaccination coverage among dogs. Therefore, more effective and feasible strategies for rabies control are urgently required in the country. To control rabies, it is very important to know if inter-island transmission can occur because rabies can become endemic once the virus is introduced in areas that previously h

Pneumonia is a leading cause of deaths in infants and young children in developing countries, including the Philippines. However, data at the community level remains limited. Our study aimed to estimate incidence and mortality rates and to evaluate risk factors and health-seeking behavior for childhood pneumonia. A household level interview survey was conducted in Biliran Island, the Philippines. Caregivers were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire to check if children had symptoms

Enterovirus 68 (EV68) infection occasionally manifests with fatal outcomes. However, detection of EV68 in serum and its clinical outcomes are yet to be determined. In this study, we retrospectively tested stored serum samples collected from pediatric pneumonia patients whose nasopharyngeal specimens were positive for EV68. Of total 28 nasopharyngeal sample-positive patients, EV68 was detected in serum samples among 12 (43%) patients aged between 1 and 4 years. Our results suggest that EV68 can c