Surveillance of antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli in Sheltered dogs in the Kanto Region of Japan

There is a lack of an established antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance system in animal welfare centers. Therefore, the AMR prevalence in shelter dogs is rarely known. Herein, we conducted a survey in animal shelters in Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures, in the Kanto Region, Japan, to ascertain the AMR status of Escherichia coli (E. coli) prevalent in shelter dogs. E. coli was detected in the fecal samples of all 61 and 77 shelter dogs tested in Chiba and Kanagawa, respectively. The AMR was tested against 20 antibiotics. E. coli isolates derived from 16.4% and 26.0% of samples from Chiba and Kanagawa exhibited resistance to at least one antibiotic, respectively. E. coli in samples from Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures were commonly resistant to ampicillin, piperacillin, streptomycin, kanamycin, tetracycline, and nalidixic acid; that from the Kanagawa Prefecture to cefazolin, cefotaxime, aztreonam, ciprofloxacin, and levofloxacin and that from Chiba Prefecture to chloramphenicol and imipenem. Multidrug-resistant bacteria were detected in 18 dogs from both regions; β-lactamase genes (blaTEM, blaDHA-1, blaCTX-M-9 group CTX-M-14), quinolone-resistance protein genes (qnrB and qnrS), and mutations in quinolone-resistance-determining regions (gyrA and parC) were detected. These results could partially represent the AMR data in shelter dogs in the Kanto Region of Japan.

Prevalence and Molecular Characterization of the Zoonotic Enteric Protozoans Cryptosporidium spp., Enterocytozoon bieneusi, and Blastocystis from Pallas’s Squirrels (Callosciurus erythraeus) in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Pallas’s squirrel is designated a “regulated organism” under the Invasive Alien Species Act in Japan, and municipal authorities are introducing control measures to reduce its populations. It has been suggested that wild mammals may play a role in contaminating the environment with zoonotic pathogens.

Mosque as a vaccination site for ethnic minority in Japan: leaving no one behind amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Ethnic minorities with different languages and religions are potentially vulnerable not only during natural hazard-induced disasters, but also during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their vaccination coverage may be lower, and vaccination strategies should prevent them from being left behind. This report presents the first case in Japan where a mosque, being the hub of foreign Muslims, was used as a vaccination site from the end of July 2021. The targeted mosque was Ebina Mosque in Kanagawa Prefecture, and most of the vaccine recipients were foreign Muslims. The mosque differed from other vaccination sites in that reservations could be made easily through the managers, and linguistic diversity (i.e., the mosque managers and mosque-related volunteers served as interpreters) and gender were considered. These efforts are likely to have removed some barriers to vaccination for ethnic minorities and contributed to “no one will be left behind.”

Habitat selection of invasive alien Pallas’s squirrels (Callosciurus erythraeus) in an urban habitat with small fragmented green spaces

The distribution of invasive alien Pallas’s squirrels (Callosciurus erythraeus) has expanded mainly toward the southeast with continuous forest in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Recently, however, squirrels have been sighted in residential areas with only a few green spaces. We examined the habitat selection of squirrels in a city with small fragmented green spaces by censusing the animals along a 6.7 km route. Twenty-three presence data were obtained in 10 grids, which were much larger than the mean home ranges of the species, suggesting that a squirrel population had already been established in this area. Although woods of <5 ha were reported to be unsuitable squirrel habitats, the study area only had two green spaces with >5 ha, and 90% of presence data were obtained in green spaces with <5 ha. This indicates that squirrels can establish a population even in areas with small fragmented green spaces. The squirrels selected areas close to evergreen and deciduous woods, but they avoided those closer to residential areas. Since small fragmented woods, such as evergreen trees, are widely distributed in the central parts of Kanagawa Prefecture, the squirrels may use them as stepping stones to expand their range.

Effectiveness of an Out-of-Pocket Cost Removal Intervention on Health Check Attendance in Japan

Annual health checks are important for identifying individuals at high risk for cardiometabolic diseases. However, there are socioeconomic disparities in health check attendance rates, and an intervention to lower financial barriers could be useful for increasing health check utilization. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an out-of-pocket cost removal intervention on health check attendance in Japan. Data were obtained on beneficiaries of the National Health Insurance system of Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. In 2018, Yokohama started an intervention to remove out-of-pocket costs for specific health checks for all National Health Insurance beneficiaries. We analyzed data from 2015−2018 (131,295 people aged 40–74 years; 377,660 observations). A generalized estimating equation showed that people were more likely to receive specific health checks in 2018 (after the out-of-pocket cost removal intervention started) than in 2017 (immediately before the intervention; odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 1.167 [1.149–1.185]), after adjusting for age, gender, tax exemption, and residential area. Stratified analyses revealed that the effectiveness of the out-of-pocket cost removal intervention was greater among the older age group and those who did not receive a tax exemption (i.e., those with relatively higher income). The present study showed that the out-of-pocket cost removal intervention could promote specific health check utilization. This indicates that removing financial barriers could motivate people’s behavior regarding health check attendance.