PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Hisatoshi Kaneko
AU  - Tatsuo Suzutani
AU  - Koki Aoki
AU  - Nobuyoshi Kitaichi
AU  - Susumu Ishida
AU  - Hiroaki Ishiko
AU  - Tsutomu Ohashi
AU  - Shigeki Okamoto
AU  - Hisashi Nakagawa
AU  - Rikutaro Hinokuma
AU  - Yoshimori Asato
AU  - Shinobu Oniki
AU  - Teiko Hashimoto
AU  - Tomohiro Iida
AU  - Shigeaki Ohno
TI  - Epidemiological and virological features of epidemic keratoconjunctivitis due to new human adenovirus type 54 in Japan
AID  - 10.1136/bjo.2009.178772
DP  - 2011 Jan 01
TA  - British Journal of Ophthalmology
PG  - 32--36
VI  - 95
IP  - 1
4099  - http://bjo.bmj.com/content/95/1/32.short
4100  - http://bjo.bmj.com/content/95/1/32.full
SO  - Br J Ophthalmol2011 Jan 01; 95
AB  - Background/aims New human adenovirus (HAdV)-54 causes epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC) and is virologically close to and has occasionally been detected as HAdV-8. Taking HAdV-54 into account, we re-determined HAdV type in EKC samples to determine its epidemiology in Japan, and examined the virological features of HAdV-54.Methods HAdV type was re-determined in 776 conjunctival swabs from Japan and 174 from six other countries, obtained between 2000 and 2009. Using 115 HAdV strains obtained before 1999, trends regarding HAdV-8 and HAdV-54 were also determined. In addition, immunochromatography (IC) kit features, DNA copy numbers and viral isolation of HAdV-54 in samples were evaluated.Results Recently, HAdV-37 and HAdV-54 have been the major causative types of EKC in Japan. HAdV-54 has been isolated each year since 1995, whereas HAdV-8 has become less common since 1997, although it remains the most common cause of EKC in the six other countries investigated where HAdV-54 is yet to be detected. HAdV-54 is comparable to other EKC-related HAdV types in terms of IC kit sensitivity and DNA copy numbers, although HAdV-54 grows more slowly on viral isolation.Conclusions EKC due to HAdV-54 can result in epidemics; therefore, it should be accurately diagnosed and monitored as an emerging infection worldwide.