The number of respiratory syncytial virus infections, which cause serious pneumonia in infants, are expanding, according to a study by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.While the RS virus usually hits epidemic levels in winter, cases have been rising since around June at the fastest pace since 2004, when relevant data became available, the institute said Wednesday, based on reports from 3,000 pediatric institutions nationwide."The RS virus increases in severity among young children who are experiencing their first infection, and its infectiousness is strong," Yoshinori Yasui, senior researcher at the institute, said. "People, including doctors and nursery school teachers, need to be aware that it has already been going around."The number of confirmed cases came to 1,321 in the week from Sept. 5 to 11, some 1.6 times more than in the same period of 2008, when it reached 836, the previous record, the institute said in a preliminary report.Around 20,000 infants are hospitalized annually due to pneumonia caused by the RS virus.
2011年9月24日土曜日
2011年8月18日木曜日
Car-sharing spreading in Tokai
NAGOYA — Car-sharing services are spreading in the Tokai region, centered on Nagoya and the nation's third-largest business area, with reduced fees and more cars available to members.
Wheel deal: Meitetsu Kyosho Ltd.'s Cariteco car-sharing service has attracted members since it slashed monthly individual user fees in June. KYODOMeitetsu Kyosho Ltd. saw membership of its Cariteco service increase by 50 percent to 1,500 in the two months since it slashed its individual user monthly fee in June to ¥1,000 from ¥3,000.The Nagoya-based company offered the discount after it was having difficulty expanding its car-sharing business since launching the service in Aichi and Gifu prefectures in November 2009.Times24 Co., a major parking lot operator which also runs a car-sharing business, plans to increase the number of its cars in Nagoya to 100 by the end of October from about 80 now.EarthCar Co., based in Tokyo, is expanding its car-sharing service to Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, and Prox Japan Co., a car rental firm in Nagoya, has expanded its car-sharing business to Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture.By prefecture in the Tokai region, car ownership rates as of the end of March 2010 stood at 1.3 vehicles per household in Aichi, 1.6 in Gifu, and 1.4 in Shizuoka and Mie, all exceeding the national average of 1.0 vehicle per household.Users pay monthly membership fees, plus extra charges when they actually use a vehicle, with the charge varying by length of usage.
Wheel deal: Meitetsu Kyosho Ltd.'s Cariteco car-sharing service has attracted members since it slashed monthly individual user fees in June. KYODOMeitetsu Kyosho Ltd. saw membership of its Cariteco service increase by 50 percent to 1,500 in the two months since it slashed its individual user monthly fee in June to ¥1,000 from ¥3,000.The Nagoya-based company offered the discount after it was having difficulty expanding its car-sharing business since launching the service in Aichi and Gifu prefectures in November 2009.Times24 Co., a major parking lot operator which also runs a car-sharing business, plans to increase the number of its cars in Nagoya to 100 by the end of October from about 80 now.EarthCar Co., based in Tokyo, is expanding its car-sharing service to Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, and Prox Japan Co., a car rental firm in Nagoya, has expanded its car-sharing business to Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture.By prefecture in the Tokai region, car ownership rates as of the end of March 2010 stood at 1.3 vehicles per household in Aichi, 1.6 in Gifu, and 1.4 in Shizuoka and Mie, all exceeding the national average of 1.0 vehicle per household.Users pay monthly membership fees, plus extra charges when they actually use a vehicle, with the charge varying by length of usage.
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