Message

Although infectious diseases are the biggest health problem in the Philippines, the actual situations are still not fully understood. Our research outcomes will contribute to the establishment of sustainable infection control measures in the Philippines and can also be applicable to other developing countries through the international organizations. Young researchers play an important role in our research projects, and they are expected to become global leaders in infectious diseases control in the future.

Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM)

The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) has been established in 1981 based on to the agreement between the governments of Japan and the Philippines through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Initially, the institute has a medical ward with 50 beds and followed by the construction of animal facilities in 1984, Training Center for tropical infections in 1989, and the National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory in 2002. With these facilities, the RITM has the capacity to conduct training and workshops for health workers from the provinces. Under the Philippine Department of Health, RITM has a role to conduct the research on infectious diseases and tropical diseases and to function as a national reference laboratory in the Philippines. Furthermore, it also serves as a referral hospital during the outbreaks of emerging diseases, such as SARS or influenza A(H1N1) pdm09.

Researchers and staff

Residence in the Philippines (RITM)
Emiko Nakagawa

Japan (Tohoku University)
Hitoshi Oshitani; Mayuko Saito; Taro Kamigaki; Michiko Okamoto; Clyde Dapat, Mariko Saito-Obata, Takeaki Imamura

Philippines (RITM)
Joanne de Jesus-Cornejo・Lea Apostol・Lei Lanna Dencel・Joseph Bonifacio・Johanna Sornillo

Project 1: Implementation of infectious disease research and genetic analysis of respiratory virus in the Philippines

Project 2: Building of respiratory virus epidemic model mainly on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in community

Project 3: Birth cohort study for diarrhea risk prediction and pathogen monitoring

Project 4: Epidemiological survey and gene analysis of new coronavirus

【FY2023】

1. Malaga JL, Pajuelo MJ, Okamoto M, Tsinda EK, Otani K, Tsukayama P, Mascaro L, Cuicapuza D, Katsumi M, Kawamura K, Nishimura H, Sakagami A, Ueki Y, Omiya S, Okamoto S, Nakayama A, Fujimaki SI, Yu C, Azam S, Kodama E, Dapat C, Oshitani H, Saito M. Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA Using Reverse Transcription Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RT-RPA) with Lateral Flow for N-Protein Gene and Variant-Specific Deletion-Insertion Mutation in S-Protein Gene. Viruses. 2023 May 26;15(6):1254. doi: 10.3390/v15061254.
   
2. Foronda JLM, Jiao MMAD, Climacosa FMM, Oshitani H, Apostol LNG.Epidemiological and molecular characterization of Coxsackievirus A6 causing hand, foot, and mouth disease in the Philippines, 2012-2017.Infect Genet Evol. 2023 Oct;114:105498. doi: 10.1016/j.meegid.2023.105498.
   
3. Sayama Y, Okamoto M, Saito M, Tamaki R, Saito-Obata M, Quicho RFN, Joboco CD, Lupisan S, Oshitani H. Lack of zoonotic coronavirus species detected among children hospitalized with pneumonia in the Philippines. Clin Infect Dis. 2023 Nov 30;77(11):1612-1613. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciad430.

【FY2022】

1. Calzado C, Foronda JL, Arguelles VL, Daga CM, Quimpo MT, Lupisan S, Dapat C, Saito M, Okamoto M, Albano PM, Oshitani H. Serotype Identification of Human Adenoviruses Associated with Influenza-Like Illnesses in the Philippines from 2006 to 2012 by Microneutralization and Molecular Techniques. Int J Infect Dis. 2022 Apr;117:326-333. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2022.02.008.
2. Aure WE, Sayama Y, Saito-Obata M, Salazar NP, Malbas FF Jr, Galang HO, Imamura T, Zuasula CL, Oshitani H. Japanese encephalitis virus genotype III from mosquitoes in Tarlac, Philippines. IJID Reg. 2022 May 16;4:59-65. doi:10.1016/j.ijregi.2022.05.005.
3. Sayama A, Okamoto M, Tamaki R, Saito-Obata M, Saito M, Kamigaki T, Sayama Y, Lirio I, Manalo JI, Tallo VL, Lupisan SP, Oshitani H. Comparison of Rhinovirus A?, B?, and C?Associated Respiratory Tract Illness Severity Based on the 5′-Untranslated Region Among Children Younger Than 5 Years. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2022 Oct 19;9(10):ofac387. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofac387.
4. Sayama Y, Okamoto M, Saito M, Saito-Obata M, Tamaki R, Joboco CD, Lupisan S, Oshitani H. Seroprevalence of four endemic human coronaviruses and, reactivity and neutralization capability against SARS-CoV-2 among children in the Philippines.Sci Rep. 2023 Feb 9;13(1):2310. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-29072-3.

【FY2021】

1. Zhu Y, Oishi W, Maruo C, Saito M, Chen R, Kitajima M, Sano D.Early warning of COVID-19 via wastewater-based epidemiology: potential and bottlenecks. Sci Total Environ. 2021 May 1;767:145124. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145124.
2. Dapat C, Kumaki S, Sakurai H, Nishimura H, Labayo HKM, Okamoto M, Saito M, Oshitani H. Gene signature of children with severe respiratory syncytial virus infection. Pediatr Res. 2021 May;89(7):1664-1672. doi: 10.1038/s41390-020-01347-9.
3. Otomaru H, Sornillo JB, Kamigaki T, Bado SL, Okamoto M, Saito-Obata M, Inobaya M, Segubre-Mercado E, Alday P, Saito M, Tallo V, Quiambao B, Oshitani H, Cook A. Risk of Transmission and Viral Shedding from the Time of Infection for Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Households. Am J Epidemiol. 2021 Jul 3;kwab181. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwab181.
4. 大石若菜、Zhu Yifan、丸尾知佳子、斉藤繭子、北島正章、佐野大輔. ウイルス感染症流行制御のための下水疫学調査のエッセンス. 水環境学会誌. 2021, 44(5), 125-133.
5. Zhu Y, Oishi W, Saito M, Kitajima M, Sano D. Early Warning of COVID-19 in Tokyo via Wastewater-based Epidemiology: How Feasible It Really Is? J Water and Environ Tech. 2021; 19 (3): 170-183. doi : 10.2965/jwet.21-024.
6. Okamoto M, Sakamoto M, Dapat C, Saito M, Saito-Obata M, Tamaki R, Lupisan SP, Quiambao BP, Oshitani H. Complete Genome Sequences of Enterovirus D68 Clade A and D Strains in the Philippines. Microbiol Resour Announc. 2021 Sep 30;10(39):e0070921. doi: 10.1128/MRA.00709-21.
7. Bugayong MP, Izumiya H, Bilar JM, Morita M, Arakawa E, Saito-Obata M, Oshitani H, Ohnishi M. Molecular characterization of Vibrio cholerae O1 isolates obtained from outbreaks in the Philippines, 2015-2016. J Med Microbiol. 2021 Nov;70(11). doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.001443.
8. Fujita D, Dapat C, Kagning Tsinda E, Saito M, Okamoto M, Saito-Obata M, Quiambao BP, Lupisan SP, Oshitani H. Near-Complete Genome Sequencing of Influenza C Virus in the Philippines between 2014 and 2019. Microbiol Resour Announc. 2021 Dec 9;10(49):e0090021. doi: 10.1128/MRA.00900-21.
9. Calzado C, Foronda JL, Arguelles VL, Daga CM, Quimpo MT, Lupisan S, Dapat C, Saito M, Okamoto M, Albano PM, Oshitani H. Serotype Identification of Human Adenoviruses Associated with Influenza-Like Illnesses in the Philippines from 2006 to 2012 by Microneutralization and Molecular Techniques. Int J Infect Dis. 2022 Feb 9:S1201-9712(22)00087-X. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2022.02.008.
10. Zhu Y, Oishi W, Maruo C, Bandara S, Lin M, Saito M, Kitajima M, Sano D. COVID-19 case predication vis wastewater surveillance in a low-prevalence urban community: a modeling approach. J Water and Health 2022, 20(2):459-470 doi: 10.2166/wh.2022.183
    11.Otani K, Saito M, Okamoto M, Tamaki R, Saito-Obata M, Kamigaki T, Lirio IC, Segubre-Mercado E, Tallo V, Lupisan S, Oshitani H. Incidence of lower respiratory tract infection and associated viruses in a birth cohort in the Philippines. BMC Infect Dis. 2022 Mar 30;22(1):313. doi: 10.1186/s12879-022-07289-3.
11. Otani K, Saito M, Okamoto M, Tamaki R, Saito-Obata M, Kamigaki T, Lirio IC, Segubre-Mercado E, Tallo V, Lupisan S, Oshitani H. Incidence of lower respiratory tract infection and associated viruses in a birth cohort in the Philippines. BMC Infect Dis. 2022 Mar 30;22(1):313. doi: 10.1186/s12879-022-07289-3.

【FY2020】

1. Kimura Y, Fujimura C, Imagawa T, Lupisan S, Saito-Obata M, Saito M, Oshitani H, Aiba S. Development of a novel in vitro assay to evaluate environmental water using an IL-8 reporter cell line. EXCLI J. 2020. 19: 1054?1063. doi: 10.17179/excli2020-2104.
2. Sato M, Oshitani H, Tamaki R, Oyamada N, Sato K, Nadra AR, Landicho J, Alday PP, Lupisan SP, Tallo VL. Factors affecting mothers' intentions to visit healthcare facilities before hospitalisation of children with pneumonia in Biliran province, Philippines: a qualitative study. BMJ Open. 2020. 26;10(8):e036261. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-036261.
3. Imagawa T, Saito M, Yamamoto D, Saito-Obata M, Masago Y, Ablola AC, Tandoc AO 3rd, Segubre-Mercado E, Lupisan SP, Oshitani H. Genetic diversity of species A rotaviruses detected in clinical and environmental samples, including porcine-like rotaviruses from hospitalized children in the Philippines. Infect Genet Evol. 2020. 85:104465. doi: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104465.
4. Furuse Y, Tamaki R, Suzuki A, Kamigaki T, Okamoto M, Saito-Obata M, Nakagawa E, Saito M, Segubre-Mercado E, Tallo V, Lupisan S, Oshitani H. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of children with acute respiratory viral infections in Philippines: a prospective cohort study. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2020. S1198-743X(20)30569-3. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2020.09.017.
5. Balingit JC, Carvajal TM, Saito-Obata M, Gamboa M, Nicolasora AD, Sy AK, Oshitani H, Watanabe K. Surveillance of dengue virus in individual Aedes aegypti mosquitoes collected concurrently with suspected human cases in Tarlac City, Philippines. Parasit Vectors. 2020. 13: 594. doi: 10.1186/s13071-020-04470-y.
6. Nishimura H, Okamoto M, Dapat I, Katumi M, Oshitani H. Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by Catechins from Green Tea. Jpn J Infect Dis. 2021. online ahead of print. doi: 10.7883/yoken.JJID.2020.902.
7. Zhu Y, Oishi W, Maruo C, Saito M, Chen R, Kitajima M, Sano D. Early warning of COVID-19 via wastewater-based epidemiology: potential and bottlenecks. Sci Total Environ. 2021. 1;767:145124. doi: 10.1016
8. Zhu Y, Oishi W, Saito M, Kitajima M, Sano D. Early Warning of COVID-19 in Tokyo via Wastewater-based Epidemiology: How Feasible It Really Is? J Water Emviron. 19(3): 170?183, 2021. https://doi.org/10.2965/jwet.21-024
9. Otomaru H, Sornillo JBT, Kamigaki T, Bado SLP, Okamoto M, Saito-Obata M, Inobaya MT, Segubre-Mercado E, Alday PP, Saito M, Tallo VL, Quiambao BP, Oshitani H, Cook AR. Risk of Transmission and Viral Shedding From the Time of Infection for Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Households. Am J Epidemiol. 2021 Dec 1;190(12):2536-2543. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwab181.