Dec 22 2021

Detailed investigation of clusters of coronavirus infections 2019 (COVID-19) in a region is crucial to prevent local outbreaks. To date, however, there have been few reports at the municipal level.
The research group led by Dr. Keita WAGATSUMA (graduate student) and Dr. Prof. Reiko SAITO in the Division of International Health (Public Health), Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan, has characterized the cluster formation by combining epidemiological and genomic analyses during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Niigata City, Japan.
This research was conducted in collaboration with the Niigata City Health Center, Niigata City, Dr. Prof. Takashi ABE of the Division of Bioinformatics, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan, Niigata Prefectural Institute of Public Health and Environmental Sciences, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, and Niigata Prefecture. The results are expected to help strengthen the COVID-19 measures in Niigata City in the future.

Research Results

• In the first wave in Niigata City in February-March 2020, COVID-19 cases spread through sports activities, family members, workplaces, and elderly care facilities, while in the second wave in April-May 2020, index cases had no contact with each other, indicating that the infection was transmitted multiple times from the urban area.
• The COVID-19 cases detected in Niigata City were of Chinese and European origin in the first and second waves, respectively.

Publication Details

Journal: Frontiers in Microbiology
Title: Genomic Epidemiology Reveals Multiple Introductions of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in Niigata City, Japan, Between February and May 2020
Authors: Keita Wagatsuma, Ryosuke Sato, Satoru Yamazaki, Masako Iwaya, Yoshiki Takahashi, Akiko Nojima, Mitsuru Oseki, Takashi Abe, Wint Wint Phyu, Tsutomu Tamura, Tsuyoshi Sekizuka, Makoto Kuroda, Haruki H. Matsumoto, and Reiko Saito
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.749149