A total of 300 stool samples collected from 213 Japanese residents of Egypt were examined microscopically. Among these samples, 39 were judged positive for heterophyid eggs. Sixty seven residents were examined repeatedly. The prevalence of heterophyid eggs revealed by the first examination samples was 8.5% (18⁄213) whereas that revealed by the second follow-up was 24% (16⁄67). The interval between the first and second examination was one year in 58 cases and 2 years in 9 cases.
The association of infection with the length of stay in Egypt was evident. Positivity among new residents (period of stay in Egypt ‹ 1 year) was as low as 3% (2⁄60). Positive conversion from new residents was observed in 28% (7⁄25), indicating a positive association between heterophyid infection and the length of stay in Egypt among Japanese residents of that country.

From 1998 to 2001, using questionnaires, we surveyed the use of travel vaccines among Japanese expatriates in developing countries. The percentage of those using more than one type of travel vaccine before departure increased significantly (45.6% in 1998 to 53.4% in 2001 (p<0.001)). In regions such as tropical Africa and South Asia, vaccination rates were high. But the increase was most noticeable in East Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. Vaccinations against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and tetanus were high throughout the developing countries. Vaccinations against yellow fever and Japanese encephalitis were high in endemic regions. Vaccination rates were slightly higher for typhoid fever in South Asia and tropical Africa than that in other areas. Vaccination rates for cholera, however, showed yearly declines. These trends seem to reflect a growing awareness among expatriates of the benefits of travel vaccines. Even so, nearly half of those living the countries have not received sufficient vaccination, indicating a need for further education.

  To the best of our knowledge, there are few reports on acquirement of medical skills of infection control using a scenario simulation program. We report the development of a education program using scenario-based simulation named Infection Control Training Course （ICTC）. The three main aims of this course are basic comprehension of standard precautions and contact precautions, acquirement of skills for wearing and removal of personal protective equipment （PPE）, and precise selection of PPE for various situations.
・For the materials and methods, 225 medical staff members taking part in the ICTC at TMU participated in the study. Investigations using a questionnaire about standard precaution, contact precaution and PPE selection were carried out for the pre-course and post-course of the day. In addition, the satisfaction level was evaluated using free score text.
・The return rates of the completed questionnaire for investigating these areas were 88.4% （pre-course） and 95.1% （post-course）. Among all the items investigated, improvements were verified statistically （Wilcoxon signed-rank test）. The satisfaction level was 94.7 ± 9.4 points.
・In conclusion, the ICTC was considered to be effective for acquiring medical skills of infection control, particularly basic comprehension regarding standard precaution, contact precaution and precise PPE selection using a scenario simulation program.

Objective: Risk factors for hypermagnesemia due to magnesium oxide (MgO) include advanced age, decreased renal function, and long-term administration; however, no study has evaluated patients that present all of these factors. This study was aimed to evaluate the safety of long-term MgO administration in elderly patients with impaired renal function.Methods: We investigated changes in serum Mg in patients aged 65 years or older, who had been taking oral MgO and presenting a glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ＜60 mL/min/1.73 m2 for 6 months or longer.Results: Thirty patients were surveyed. Their median age was 81 years (range, 68-92). No significant change in patient background was observed before and after initiating MgO administration, with no change in serum Mg detected. Furthermore, the oral dose of MgO was divided into groups taking ＜1,000 mg and ≥ 1,000 mg; no change in serum Mg was observed in either group. Based on renal function, the analysis was divided into a mildly decreased group (60＞ eGFR ≥ 45) and a moderately to severely decreased group (45＞ eGFR ≥ 15), and no change in serum Mg was observed in either group.Conclusions: We targeted elderly patients with renal dysfunction who were taking long-term MgO, a known risk factor for hypermagnesemia, indicating that MgO can be safely continued.