新型コロナの影に隠れた
致死率１００％の感染症

　２００６年以来、14年ぶりとなる狂犬病の患者が愛知県豊橋市で確認された。人から人に感染する事はなく、新型コロナウイルスの影に隠れて大きく報じられる事はなかったが、発症すれば致死率はほぼ１００％とされる恐ろしい感染症だ。

　「今回確認された患者について、最も驚いたのは犬にかまれてから８カ月後に発症したという点だ」と語るのは地元紙記者だ。豊橋市等の発表によると、患者は今年２月にフィリピンから就労目的で入国し、静岡市在住。５月11日に足首の痛みを訴え、13日頃から食欲不振の他、狂犬病の典型的な症状とされる水を恐れる症状を呈した。18日に知人が車で豊橋市内の医療機関に搬送し、すぐにＩＣＵ（集中治療室）に入院。フィリピンにいた昨年９月頃、犬に左足首を噛まれていた事から狂犬病が疑われ、国立感染症研究所のＰＣＲ検査で狂犬病ウイルスが検出された。

　「日本国内では長年、狂犬病は発生していないが、海外で犬に噛まれて国内で発症する事例が今回以前に３例発生している。海外では年５万〜６万人が死亡しており、インドや東南アジアではまだまだ一般的な感染症です」と都内のトラベルクリニックの医師は語る。

　日本で確認された３例では患者はいずれも死亡しており、世界でも発症後に救命出来た例は20例くらいとされる。

　だが、幸いにもワクチンで予防出来る他、噛まれた直後にワクチンを投与すれば発症を抑える事も出来る。潜伏期間は通常１〜３カ月とされるが、噛まれた場所からウイルスが脳の神経に達して発症するため、頭部から遠い場所を噛まれれば発症が遅いと言われている。今回の発症者は足首だったため、８カ月たって発症したとみられる。

　「野良犬を見かける事はめったにない日本と異なり、野良犬がいる国では犬に噛まれる事は珍しくない。医療機関にも行かないのだろう」と前出の医師。治療法はあるのだから、もっと早く処置していれば発症する事はなかっただろう。世間は新型コロナ一色だが、それ以外にも多くの感染症がある。警戒を怠らないようにしたい。

ＨＰＶ９価ワクチンが
製造認可に５年かかった理由

　これまた大きく報道されてはいないが、厚労省の専門部会は５月、積極的な接種勧奨が止まっている子宮頸がんワクチン（ＨＰＶワクチン）について、より効果の高い９価ワクチンの製造を許可した。それはＭＳＤ社が製造する「シルガード９」である。

　子宮頸がんの原因と考えられるＨＰＶ（ヒトパピローマウイルス）は約15種類あるとされ、これまでの２価、４価ワクチンはそのうちの２種、４種を対象としていた。シルガード９は９種を対象としており、予防効果はこれまでの５〜７割から９割に上がる。海外では９価ワクチンの導入が進むが、日本の定期接種に加わるかどうかは今後の検討課題だ。

　それにしても、ＭＳＤが厚労省にシルガード９の承認を申請したのは２０１５年７月。製造認可まで５年かかった。

　その理由について、全国紙の科学部記者は「ＨＰＶワクチンの薬害を訴える人達は、国によるワクチンの認可と定期接種化が速かった事も批判してきた。厚労省としては２・４価の二の舞にならないよう、しっかり審査したと印象付ける必要があったのでは」と語る。

「賭けマージャン」は検察リーク？
官邸を震え上がらせた〝ロッキードの影〟

　東京高等検察庁の黒川弘務・前検事長を辞職に追い込んだ「賭けマージャン」問題。その情報を誰が『週刊文春』にたれ込んだのかは、一連の検察人事問題の本質に直結する重要な要素だ。

　文春５月28日号は「産経新聞関係者から小誌にもたらされた」と書いたが、そこからして不自然だ。重大な特ダネであるほど情報源の秘匿が求められる。あえて明かしたのは、本当の情報源を隠すカモフラージュではないか。

　真っ先に疑われたのが「検察の内部リーク」である。首相官邸の意向で脱法的に定年が延長された黒川氏がそのまま次期検事総長に就けば、検察の中立・公正に国民から疑念の目が向けられる。検察トップ人事への政治介入を撥ね除けるための組織的な「義挙」との見方だ。

　しかし、検察組織にそのような反骨精神があるなら、そもそも稲田伸夫・検事総長が職を賭して反対すべきだったし、検察幹部の定年延長を後付けで正当化する検察庁法改正案の国会提出も受け入れるべきではなかった。

　リークの真相は分からない。だが、「文春砲」の前に永田町の雰囲気を一変させる事件があった。清水勇男・元最高検検事ら「ロッキード世代」の検察ＯＢ達が政権批判の声を上げた事だ。堀田力・元法務省官房長は稲田、黒川両氏に辞職して官邸に抵抗するよう訴えた。

　「帝国陸軍に大山巌や乃木希典が決起を呼び掛けたようなもの」と例えた自衛隊ＯＢは「官邸は震え上がったはず」と解説する。

　森友・加計問題への安倍晋三首相や妻・昭恵氏の関与、「桜を見る会」を巡る政治資金規正法・公職選挙法違反の告発、統合型リゾート（ＩＲ）や武器爆買いの利権、河井克行・前法相夫妻に自民党から渡った多額の選挙資金——。憲政史上最長となった安倍政権だからこそ、叩けばホコリの出そうな疑惑案件が目白押しだ。

　退陣後の安全を確保しようとして、逆に虎の尾を踏んでしまったのだろうか。

日医会長選「怪文書」の登場で
実現出来なかった“爽やかな選挙”

　日本医師会（日医）の会長選挙は、現職の横倉義武氏が副会長の中川俊男氏へ禅譲の意志を示しながら、公示直前に翻意、全面戦争の様相を呈した。

横倉氏は１回目の会長選は３人で争う選挙だったが、２回目以降は厳しい選挙戦はしていなかった。その１回目でさえ「割と爽やかな選挙をしていた」と述べている。

　しかし今回は、副会長選を巡っても大票田の東京都・大阪府両医師会の票が割れる事が必至だと考えられたため危機感を抱いたのか、横倉陣営の発信と思われる“怪文書”が流れた。「医師会員の良心、今こそ結集を」というタイトルで、「怒髪天」のペンネームが記されていた。

　最初に「もはや、これは『中川俊男の乱』。中川派が仕掛けたクーデターだ」と決め付けた上で、中川氏が当選すると「日医は永田町・霞が関との対立を深める」とし、中川氏や中川氏支持派の都道府県医師会会長らを「日医の歴史に残る大悪人」等と批判していた。今度ばかりは「爽やかな選挙」とはいかなかったようだ。
Behind the new corona
Infection with a fatality rate of 100%

Since 2006, the first rabies patient in 14 years has been confirmed in Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture.
Although there was no human infection, and there was no major news behind the new coronavirus, it was a terrible infection with a fatality rate of almost 100%.
"The most surprising thing about the patients identified here is that they developed eight months after being bitten by a dog," said a local reporter.
According to the announcement by Toyohashi City and others, the patient entered Japan from the Philippines for employment in February this year and lived in Shizuoka City.
On May 11, she complained of ankle pain, and on May 13 she had anorexia and a symptom fearing water, a typical symptom of rabies.
On March 18, an acquaintance was transported by car to a medical institution in Toyohashi City and immediately admitted to an ICU (intensive care unit).
Around September last year, when she was in the Philippines, rabies was suspected because her dog was chewed on her left ankle, and a PCR test by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases detected rabies virus.
"There have been no cases of rabies in Japan for many years, but there have been three cases of rabies occurring in Japan after being bitten by a dog overseas in the past.
Overseas, 50,000 to 60,000 people die each year, and India and Southeast Asia are still common infections," says a doctor at a travel clinic in Tokyo.
All three patients identified in Japan died, and around 20 patients were able to survive after the onset of the disease worldwide.
Fortunately, however, vaccines can be used to prevent the onset of the disease, and vaccines can be given immediately after the bite.
The incubation period is usually 1 to 3 mo, but the onset is said to be slow if the virus is bitten away from the head because it reaches the nerves of the brain from where it is bitten.
Because the patient had an ankle, it appeared 8 months later.
"Unlike Japan, where stray dogs are seldom seen, it is not uncommon for dogs to be bitten in a country where stray dogs are present.
"I won't go to the medical institution," said the doctor.
Because there were treatments, they would not have developed if they had been treated earlier.
The world is a new corona, but there are many other infectious diseases.

I want to be vigilant.
With HPV 9-valent vaccine

Reasons why manufacturing approval took five years
In May, the MHLW panel approved the production of a more effective nine-valent vaccine for cervical cancer vaccine (HPV vaccine), which has been discouraged from aggressively advising vaccines, although this has not been widely reported.
It is Silguard 9 manufactured by MSD.
There are approximately 15 types of HPV (human papillomavirus) that are thought to be responsible for cervical cancer, and two or four of these have been used to date as bivalent and tetravalent vaccines.
Silgard 9 is targeted at nine species, and its protective effect has risen from 50 to 70% to 90%.
Overseas, 9-valent vaccines will be introduced, but whether or not they will be included in routine vaccinations in Japan will be an issue to be studied in the future.
Nevertheless, in July 2015, MSD applied to MHLW for approval of Silgard 9.
It took five years to obtain manufacturing approval.
"People who complain about the harmful effects of HPV vaccines have also criticized the accelerated approval and routine vaccination by the government," said a science reporter in a national newspaper.
"It was necessary to impress that MHLW had carefully examined the case so that it would not fall into the 2.4-valence range," MHLW says.

Is "betting mahjong" a prosecutor's leak?
Shadow of Lockheed that trembled around the Prime Minister's Official Residence

The "betting mahjong" issue, which forced Hiroshi Kurokawa and Prosecutor-General Maki of the Tokyo High Public Prosecutors Office to resign.
Who brought the information into Weekly Bunshun is an important factor directly related to the essence of the prosecution's affairs.
The May 28 issue of Bunshun wrote, "It was brought to the journal by Sankei Shimbun people," but it's not natural since then.
The more important it is, the more confidential the information source is required.
What made it clear was camouflage, which hid the true source of information.
The first suspicion was "public prosecutor's internal leak."
If Mr. Kurokawa, who had legally been extended beyond the mandatory retirement age at the will of the Prime Minister's Official Residence, assumes the post of the next Prosecutor General, public suspicion will be raised about the neutrality and fairness of the Prosecutor.
It is viewed as a systematic "show of righteousness" in order to eliminate political intervention in the top prosecutor's appointment.
However, if the prosecutor's organization had such a spirit of antipathy, then it should have been against Mr. Nobuo Inada, Superintendent-General of the Prosecutor-General, by betting on the office, and it should not have accepted the submission of a bill to revise the Public Prosecutor's Office Law to the Diet, which would justify the extension of the mandatory retirement age for prosecutors officers.
I don't know the truth of the leak.
However, there was an incident that changed the atmosphere of Nagata Town in front of the Bunharu Gun.
Yukio Shimizu and former Supreme Prosecutors of the Lockheed Age have criticized the government.
Mr. Yoshihiko Hotta, former secretary-general of the Ministry of Justice, resigned to Mr. Inada and Mr. Kurokawa, and appealed to the Prime Minister's Office to resist them.
"The Kantei should have trembled," explains an ex-Self-Defense Forces member, who described the Imperial Army as calling for the decree of Oyama Gen and Nogi Nogi.
Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, and Mrs. Akie Abe's involvement in the issue of Mori Tomoyuki and Katsuyuki Kawai; accusations of violations of the Political Fund Regulation Law and the Public Offices Election Law concerning the Cherry Blossom Viewing Group; rights to integrated resorts (IR) and the purchase of weapons and bombs; and large sums of election funds from the Liberal Democratic Party to Kawai Katsuyuki and his wife.
The Abe administration, the longest in the history of the constitutional government, is precisely why suspicions that could come out of spite of the strike are confused.
Had he stepped on the tail of the tiger to ensure safety after his resignation?

With the appearance of the "Mystery Document" in the election of the President of the Japan Medical Association
"refreshing elections" that could not be realized

In the presidential election of the Japan Medical Association (Nichikai), the incumbent Yoshibu Yokokura expressed his willingness to transfer Zen to Toshio Nakagawa, vice chairman of the Japan Medical Association. Just before the announcement, however, the election showed a change of intent and appeared to be a full-scale war.
Mr. Yokokura was in the first round of election with three voters, but he had not fought hard since the second round.
Even the first time, he said, "I had a refreshing election."
This time, however, there was a "mystery document" that seemed to have been sent out by the Yokokura camp, because it was considered inevitable that the votes of both the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Osaka Medical Association would be broken even after the Vice-Chairman election.
"The conscience of the doctor's members, now, is the gathering," and the pen name for "angry hair."
"This is no longer Nakagawa Toshio's upheaval."
After deciding that it was a coup d'etat initiated by the Nakagawa faction, Nakagawa criticized Nakagawa and the chairman of the Prefectural Medical Association who supported Nakagawa as "the big bad guy in the history of the Japanese doctor," saying that "the Hitachi doctor deepens the confrontation with Kasumigaseki in Nagata Town."
This time, the election did not seem to be "refreshing."