I am studying viral zoonotic diseases transmitted by rodents and arthropods, in the fields of epidemiology, development of diagnostic methods, and mechanism of pathogen maintenance in nature. I mainly focus on epidemiological study of rodent-borne hantavirus infection to prevent the disease by performing epidemiological surveys in collaboration with research institutes in Japan, Russia, and Mexico to clarify the distribution of viruses and reservoirs. In addition, I am studying the diversity and evolution of hantaviruses by analyzing the viruses detected in the surveys. I am also developing the diagnostic methods for the detection of various hantavirus infections and establishing the animal model for hantavirus infection.

1. Promotion of fostering Zoonosis Control Expert
2. Support for career path activity

1. Kariwa, H., Yoshida, H., Sánchez-Hernández, C., Romero-Almaraz, M. de L., Almazán-Catalán, J.A., Ramos, C., Miyashita, D., Seto, T., Takano, A., Totani, M., Murata, R., Saasa, N., Ishizuka, M., Sanada, T., Yoshii, K., Yoshimatsu, K., Arikawa, J., Takashima, I. 2012. Genetic diversity of hantaviruses in Mexico: Identification of three novel hantaviruses from Neotominae rodents. Virus Res. 163:486-494.
2. Seto, T., Nagata, N., Yoshikawa, K., Ichii, O., Sanada, T., Saasa, N., Ozaki, Y., Kon, Y., Yoshii, K., Takashima, I., Kariwa, H. 2012. Infection of Hantaan virus strain AA57 leading to pulmonary disease in laboratory mice. Virus Res. 163:284-290.
3. Sanada, T., Kariwa, H., Nagata, N., Tanikawa, Y., Seto, T., Yoshimatsu, K., Arikawa, J., Yoshii, K., Takashima, I. 2011. Puumala virus infection in Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) resembling hantavirus infection in natural rodent hosts. Virus Res. 160:108-119.
4. Seto, T., Tkachenko, E.A., Morozov, V.G,, Tanikawa, Y., Kolominov, S.I., Belov, S.N., Nakamura, I., Hashimoto, N., Kon, Y., Balakiev, A.E., Dzagurnova, T.K., Medvedkina, O.A., Nakauchi, M., Ishizuka, M., Yoshii, K., Yoshimatsu, K., Ivanov, L.V., Arikawa, J., Takashima, I., Kariwa, H. 2011. An efficient in vivo method for the isolation of Puumala virus in Syrian hamsters and the characterization of the isolates from Russia. J. Virol. Methods. 173:17-23.
5. Kariwa, H., Tkachenko, E.A., Morozov, V.G., Seto, T., Tanikawa, Y., Kolominov, S.I., Belov, S.N., Nakamura, I., Hashimoto, N., Balakiev, A.E., Dzagurnova, T.K., Daud, N.H., Miyashita, D., Medvedkina, O.A., Nakauchi, M., Ishizuka, M., Yoshii, K., Yoshimatsu, K., Arikawa, J., Takashima, I. 2009. Epidemiological study of hantavirus infection in the Samara Region of European Russia. J. Vet. Med. Sci. 71:1569-1578.