History of Tuberculosis as Zoonosis in Japan

• In Event: Public Health, Social Construction and Disease: Infectious Diseases in East Asia

Abstract

Japan was a high incidence country of tuberculosis (TB). Recently, transmitting routes of them can be estimated by determining their genotypes. This molecular epidemiological method can be applied to TB samples after 1960s which are available for our research.

On the other hand, Japan society experienced the highest mortality of TB from 1900 to 1930s when the industrialization was rapidly developed. However, these TB strains are not available for the molecular epidemiological method. In order to supplement this lack of epidemiological information, we have to use documentary resources such as historical statistics.

Biological researches show that Mycobacterium tuberculosis was differentiated from M. bovis several thousand years ago.

Some past researchers have pointed out human had possibility to be infected with cattle TB (Mycobacterium bovis), not Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In Meiji Japan people experientially know that human was infected with TB by cow milk and meet. Therefore the purpose of “Cow tuberculosis preventive Act” in 1901 was preventing TB transmission to human through control of infected cattle. Therefore, in order to understand TB epidemiology in Japan, we should know the relationship between cattle (or farm animals) and human. In this paper, I argue the history of TB as zoonosis in Japan through both of historical and genotype analysis.

Author

• Tomo Ichikawa, Nagasaki University