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Yamayoshi S, Nagai E, Mitamura K, Hagihara M, Kobayashi R, Takahashi S, Shibata A, Uwamino Y, Hasegawa N, Iqbal A, Kamimaki I, Iwatsuki-Horimoto K, Nagamura-Inoue T, Kawaoka Y. Seroprevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 N antibodies between December 2021 and march 2023 in Japan. Epidemiol Infect 2024; 152:e24. [PMID: 38258464 PMCID: PMC10894890 DOI: 10.1017/s0950268824000141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in 2019 in China and rapidly spread worldwide, leading to a pandemic. The threat of SARS-CoV-2 is subsiding as most people have acquired sufficient antibodies through vaccination and/or infection to prevent severe COVID-19. After the emergence of the omicron variants, the seroprevalence of antibodies against the N protein elicited by SARS-CoV-2 infection ranged from 44.4% to 80.2% in countries other than Japan. Here, we assessed the seroprevalence in Japan before and after the appearance of omicron variants. Serosurveillance of antibodies against N was conducted between December 2021 and March 2023 in Japan. In total, 7604 and 3354 residual serum or plasma samples were collected in the Tokyo metropolitan area and Sapporo, respectively. We found that the seroprevalence in representative regions of Japan increased approximately 3% to 23% after the emergence of the omicron variants. We also found higher seroprevalence among the young compared with the elderly. Our findings indicate that unlike other countries, most of the Japanese population has not been infected, raising the possibility of future SARS-CoV-2 epidemics in Japan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seiya Yamayoshi
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Research Center for Global Viral Infections, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Etsuko Nagai
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Research Hospital, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keiko Mitamura
- Division of Infection Control, Eiju General Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masao Hagihara
- Department of Hematology, Eiju General Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryo Kobayashi
- Division of Laboratory Medicine, Sapporo Medical University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Satoshi Takahashi
- Department of Infection Control and Laboratory Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Akimichi Shibata
- Department of Pediatrics, Japanese Red Cross Ashikaga Hospital, Tochigi, Japan
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Uwamino
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naoki Hasegawa
- Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Asef Iqbal
- Department of Pediatrics, NHO Saitama Hospital, Saitama, Japan
| | - Isamu Kamimaki
- Department of Pediatrics, NHO Saitama Hospital, Saitama, Japan
| | | | - Tokiko Nagamura-Inoue
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Research Hospital, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Kawaoka
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Research Center for Global Viral Infections, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
- The University of Tokyo Pandemic Preparedness, Infection and Advanced Research Center, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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