Life Science & Medical Technology

The number of influenza patients per medical institution in the week through Sunday dropped from the previous week in all of the nation’s 47 prefectures, the health ministry said Friday.

Japanese scientists said Wednesday they had successfully used mouse stem cells to grow kidneys in rat embryos, using a technique that could one day help grow human kidneys for transplant.

A swine fever epidemic is continuing to spread in Japan, with local authorities in five central and western Japan prefectures saying Wednesday they are struggling to contain the highly contagious pig virus that was first reported in September.

Pharmacists will likely be allowed to hold online consultations with patients about their medication from April 2020, reflecting the rising demand for in-home medical care among the country’s rapidly graying population, officials said Tuesday.

Medical diagnostic services using artificial intelligence are set to be introduced this year in Japan, where the adoption of information technology in health care has been slow, sources said Monday.

Japan is facing another winter flu crisis with a record-high average of 57.09 patients diagnosed last week with the ailment per medical institution conducting flu tests, the health ministry said Friday.

A swine fever epidemic plaguing Gifu Prefecture since September is continuing to rage with a seventh case identified Tuesday, leading to a cull of 1,600 pigs, local authorities said.

Mutated influenza viruses resistant to baloxavir marboxil, a new flu drug sold as Xofluza, were detected in patients last month, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases has said.

Amid an outbreak of influenza, the nation has seen a spate of deaths in recent days following mass infections at nursing care facilities.

The number of people in Japan newly diagnosed with cancer in 2016 stood at 995,132, the health ministry said Thursday.