Associate Professor Hiroki Takakuwa

■ Area and Subject Taught: Infectious Disease
■ Research Theme(s): Study on ecology and pathogenicity of avian inﬂuenza viruses
■ Academic Degrees: Ph.D.(Veterinary) Hokkaido University
■ Keywords for Research Field: Avian inﬂuenza viruses, pathogenicity,host range

[Research Overview]

Currently, outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian inﬂuenza and other emerging and re-emerging diseases have caused serious economical and social disturbances worldwide. To control these infections is the most important. Our research is focused on: 1) The evolution and spread mechanism of pathogens such as avian inﬂuenza virus in nature. 2) Studies on the host range determinant in pathogens, mechanisms of pathogenesis and immune response of the hosts through in vivo and in vitro analyses of the host-parasite interactions. 3) Development of strategies for the prevention and control of the infections.

[Notable Publications and Works]

1. Shivakoti, S., Ito, H., Murase, T., Ono, E., Takakuwa, H., Yamashiro, T., Otsuki, K., Ito, T.Development of Reverse Transcription-Loop-Mediated Isothermal Ampliﬁcation (RT-LAMP) Assay for Detection of Avian Inﬂuenza Viruses in Field Specimens. J. Vet. Med. Sci. 72:519-523, 2010.

2. Fujimoto, Y., Ito, H., Shinya, K., Yamaguchi, T., Usui, T., Murase, T., Ozaki, H., Ono, E., Takakuwa, H., Otsuki, K., Ito, T. Susceptibility of two species of wild terrestrial birds to infection with a highly pathogenic avian inﬂuenza virus of H5N1 subtype. Avian Pathol. 39:95-98, 2010.

3. Takakuwa, H., Yamashiro, T., Le, M.Q., Phuong, L.S., Ozaki, H., Tsunekuni, R., Usui, T., Ito, H., Yamaguchi, T., Ito, T., Murase, T., Ono, E., and Otsuki, K. Possible circulation of H5N1 avian inﬂuenza viruses in healthy ducks on farms in northern Vietnam. Microbiol. Immunol. 54:58-62, 2010.

4. Takakuwa, H., Maruoka, T., Hata, T., Miyazawa, M., Toshimori, H., and Otsuki, K. Development of a new disinfectant with very strong anti-inﬂuenza viral activity: a preliminary report. Environ. Health Prev. Med. 15:121‒123, 2010.

5. Sakabe, S., Sakoda, Y., Haraguchi, Y., Isoda, N., Soda, K., Takakuwa, H., Saijo, K., Sawata, A., Kume, K., Hagiwara, J., Tuchiya, K., Lin, Z., Sakamoto, R., Imamura, T., Sasaki, T., Kokumai, N., Kawaoka, Y., Kida, H. A vaccine prepared from a non-pathogenic H7N7 virus isolated from natural reservoir conferred protective immunity against the challenge with lethal dose of highly pathogenic avian inﬂuenza virus in chickens. Vaccine, 26:2127-2134, 2008.