Latest news with #KanagawaPrefecturalInstituteofPublicHealth
Asahi Shimbun
2 days ago
- Health
- Asahi Shimbun
Kanagawa woman develops SFTS after being bitten by a tick
The Kanagawa prefectural government is urging residents to seek immediate medical attention if bitten by a tick following the prefecture's first human case of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome. (Provided by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases) Kanagawa prefectural officials announced on July 17 that a woman in her 60s has contracted a tick-borne disease and believe transmission occurred near her home, making this the first human case reported in the Kanto region. The resident of Matsuda, Kanagawa Prefecture, developed symptoms including fever and diarrhea on June 28 before being hospitalized. A genetic test conducted by the Kanagawa Prefectural Institute of Public Health confirmed she had severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), a viral infection transmitted by ticks. This was the prefecture's first documented case of a human being infected with SFTS. After further inquiry into her recent activities, it was concluded that a tick likely bit the woman while she was doing farm work or weeding near her home. According to the prefecture, SFTS cases have a mortality rate of at least 10 percent. By the end of April this year, 117 people in Japan had died from the disease. The woman living in Matsuda has since been discharged from the hospital and is recovering. The prefecture is urging the public to wear clothing that covers the skin and to avoid forcibly removing ticks if bitten, advising instead to see a doctor. In 2013, the first case of SFTS in Japan was confirmed in Yamaguchi Prefecture in a patient with no history of overseas travel. Since then, SFTS cases have gradually spread eastward from western Japan. As of April this year, the easternmost confirmed case occurred in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Asia News Network
08-07-2025
- Health
- Asia News Network
Measles-infected person visited Osaka Expo on June 21; visitors with symptoms urged to seek medical advice
July 8, 2025 TOKYO – A young resident of Kanagawa Prefecture visited the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo on the same day that he developed symptoms of the measles, the prefectural government said Saturday. Aged from 10 to 19, the person is a resident of Hiratsuka in the prefecture and went to the Expo on June 21, according to the prefectural government. The Kanagawa and Osaka prefectural governments are calling for anyone who visited the venue on the same day and developed a fever or other symptoms to contact a medical facility about possible treatment. The resident traveled to Osaka by car and took a shuttle bus from a parking lot in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, from about 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. to the Expo venue, according to the Kanagawa prefectural government and others. He visited eight pavilions, including those for the European Union and Cambodia, from around 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. He then returned to the parking lot via shuttle bus from around 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The young person had a fever and a headache on the day that he visited the Expo. As he also developed a rash, he visited a medical institution on June 25 and 27. Genetic testing by the Kanagawa Prefectural Institute of Public Health confirmed Thursday that he had contracted measles. He has no history of overseas travel and how he became infected is unknown, according to the prefectural government. As of June 29, a total of 32 people had been confirmed to have contracted measles in Kanagawa Prefecture this year, the institute said. Highly contagious airborne disease Measles is highly contagious and spreads through the air. It can be transmitted through droplets from coughing or sneezing, as well as by direct contact with an infected person. When the virus enters the body of a person who is not immune, symptoms such as a fever, cough and rash appear within 10 to 12 days in most cases. Measles can cause pneumonia and encephalitis and is said to be fatal in 1 in 1,000 cases. Just washing one's hands and wearing a mask cannot fully prevent infection. Receiving two doses of vaccine is considered effective. The World Health Organization verified that Japan had eliminated endemic measles transmission in 2015, but new cases have continued to be confirmed. According to the Japan Institute for Health Security, 156 cases of infection had been confirmed nationwide this year as of June 22. The Expo visitor who tested positive had received two doses of vaccine. 'People who have been vaccinated twice will excrete fewer viruses. If you experience symptoms such as fever or rash, please consult a medical institution before seeking treatment,' said Atsuo Hamada, a specially appointed professor at Tokyo Medical University and an expert on travel medicine.
Yomiuri Shimbun
06-07-2025
- Health
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Measles-Infected Person Visited Kansai Expo on June 21; Same-Day Visitors With Symptoms Urged to Seek Medical Advice
A young resident of Kanagawa Prefecture visited the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo on the same day that he developed symptoms of the measles, the prefectural government said Saturday. Aged from 10 to 19, the person is a resident of Hiratsuka in the prefecture and went to the Expo on June 21, according to the prefectural government. The Kanagawa and Osaka prefectural governments are calling for anyone who visited the venue on the same day and developed a fever or other symptoms to contact a medical facility about possible treatment. The resident traveled to Osaka by car and took a shuttle bus from a parking lot in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, from about 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. to the Expo venue, according to the Kanagawa prefectural government and others. He visited eight pavilions, including those for the European Union and Cambodia, from around 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. He then returned to the parking lot via shuttle bus from around 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The young person had a fever and a headache on the day that he visited the Expo. As he also developed a rash, he visited a medical institution on June 25 and 27. Genetic testing by the Kanagawa Prefectural Institute of Public Health confirmed Thursday that he had contracted measles. He has no history of overseas travel and how he became infected is unknown, according to the prefectural government. As of June 29, a total of 32 people had been confirmed to have contracted measles in Kanagawa Prefecture this year, the institute said. Subhead: Highly contagious airborne disease Measles is highly contagious and spreads through the air. It can be transmitted through droplets from coughing or sneezing, as well as by direct contact with an infected person. When the virus enters the body of a person who is not immune, symptoms such as a fever, cough and rash appear within 10 to 12 days in most cases. Measles can cause pneumonia and encephalitis and is said to be fatal in 1 in 1,000 cases. Just washing one's hands and wearing a mask cannot fully prevent infection. Receiving two doses of vaccine is considered effective. The World Health Organization verified that Japan had eliminated endemic measles transmission in 2015, but new cases have continued to be confirmed. According to the Japan Institute for Health Security, 156 cases of infection had been confirmed nationwide this year as of June 22. The Expo visitor who tested positive had received two doses of vaccine. 'People who have been vaccinated twice will excrete fewer viruses. If you experience symptoms such as fever or rash, please consult a medical institution before seeking treatment,' said Atsuo Hamada, a specially appointed professor at Tokyo Medical University and an expert on travel medicine.
