Two outbreaks of herpes simplex virus type 1 nosocomial infection among newborns.

Two outbreaks of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection occurred in three newborns at each of two hospitals, and two of the infants in each case died of disseminated HSV-1 infection. Restriction endonuclease profiles of HSV-1 DNAs isolated from the three in each instance were essentially identical, indicating that they were epidemiologically related. In the first instance, each of three infants born in the same hospital at intervals of approximately 2 years or 1 year was infected with HSV-1. In this case, it was suggested that periodically reactivated HSV-1 strains from hospital personnel had been transmitted to three newborns. In the second instance (infants G-36, G-37, and G-38), the radiant warmer that had been occupied by infant G-36, who was infected with HSV-1, was used for infant G-37. Infant G-38 was in another radiant warmer 2 m from the radiant warmer occupied by infant G-37. Therefore, it was suggested that the virus had possibly been transmitted via radiant warmer and by hospital personnel in the two instances.

Subtypes of herpes simplex virus type 1 in Japan: classification by restriction endonucleases and analysis of distribution.

An attempt was made to classify herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) isolates into subtypes on the basis of the combination of the gain or loss of specific cleavage sites of HSV-1 genomes with each of three restriction endonucleases (Bam HI, Kpn I, and Sal I). According to the criteria we used for the determination of HSV-1 subtypes, 93 strains of HSV-1 that were isolated in three areas of Japan (Sapporo, Tottori, and Kagawa) were tentatively classified into eight subtypes: subtypes A-H. The bulk of the strains (84 of 93) fell into three subtypes: A, C, and H. There were highly significant differences (P less than .01) in the proportion of subtypes A and H that were isolated in Sapporo as compared with those isolated in Tottori and in Kagawa, which are geographically far from Sapporo. No significant differences, however, were found in subtypes isolated in Tottori as compared with those isolated in Kagawa, which are geographically close to each other. These data suggest that there might be a correlation between the genome structure of HSV-1 and the areas of their isolation in Japan.

Ocular manifestations of Kawasaki's disease (mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome).

In a prospective study of the ocular manifestations of Kawasaki's disease (mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome) in 18 children (11 boys and seven girls, ranging in age from 5 months to 9 years), we found bilateral injection of the bulbar conjunctiva in 16, bilateral iridocyclitis in 14, superficial punctate keratitis in four, vitreous opacities in two, papilledema in two, and subconjunctival hemorrhage in one. Conjunctival injection and iridocyclitis were always bilateral, and fellow eyes always had the same degree of inflammation. There were significant correlations between ocular inflammation and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (P less than .0001) and C-reactive protein level (P less than .0009). No serious ocular complications occurred.

Strong association between membranous nephropathy and hepatitis-B surface antigenaemia in Japanese children.

Renal histology in 163 Japanese children, aged 3 to 15, with proteinuria and/or haematuria showed that 11 had membranous nephropathy (M.N) and the rest had various other renal diseases. Hepatitis-B-virus surface antigen (HBsAg) was identified, by a reversed passive haemagglutination method, in the serum of all the patients with M.N. but in only 4.6% of the patients with other renal diseases. 6 of the 11 mothers of the children with M.N. were positive for HBsAg, and 1 was positive for antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs). These findings suggest that M.N. in Japanese children is mainly, if not exclusively, caused by hepatitis-B virus and that in most instances the virus is transmitted from mother to child.

Eimeria leuckarti infection in foals.

This is the first report on Eimeria leuckarti infection in foals in Japan. Seven Thoroughbred or Angloarabian foals 2 to 7 months of age raised in the Hidaka district, Hokkaido, were infected with E. leuckarti. They died of severe alterations caused by the larval migration of Strongylus vulgaris, and were examined over a period from 1970 to 1973. Protozoa of this species were observed in the small intestine in all the foals. They were found mostly in vacuoles of the cytoplasm of monoclear cells in the lamina propria at or near the tip of villi. Various stages of gametocytes, oocysts, and microgametocytes were found. In infected cells the nucleus was markedly enlarged, but the cellular response was very slight to the parasite.