• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.56-66
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• 2010

Purpose : Although oseltamivir is widely used for treatment of influenza, few clinical studies of its efficacy and resistance have been performed in Korea. We evaluated the safety, side effects, and efficacy of oseltamivir treatment in Korean pediatric patients. Methods : We analyzed 321 children diagnosed with influenza at Busan St. Mary's Medical Center, Korea, between January 2008 and June 2008 (first study period) and November 2008 and January 2009 (second study period). Patients were divided into two groups: those receiving oseltamivir treatment for 5 days and those receiving only symptomatic treatment. We investigated clinical symptoms, side effects, and resistance to oseltamivir. We also identified influenza strains and evaluated resistance to oseltamivir using an influenza virus culture. Results : One hundred eighty-six patients were assigned to the treatment group, and 135 were assigned to the control group. The treatment group showed shorter admission duration (4.4 days) compared with controls (5.0 days) (P =0.000) and had fewer lower respiratory tract complications compared with controls (P <0.05). No significant statistical difference in the virus antigenic type was observed between the groups. In the first study period, virus culture showed influenza B (41.7% vs. 49.6%), A/H3N2 (7.9% vs. 8.4%), and A/H1N1 (9.4% vs. 6.5%). In the second study period, only A/H1N1 (55.3% vs. 50.0%) was isolated, except for one case of A (H3N2) in the treatment group. No differences in short- and long-term side effects, including neuropsychologic side effects, were noted between groups. There was no resistance to oseltamivir before or after treatment in the first study period. Conclusion : Based on our results, we suggest that osetalmivir therapy in pediatric patients is effective.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.9-19
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• 2010

Objectives: This study is to identify the factors which affect children's preventive behavior for novel influenza A(H1N1) and to provide basic data to health education for children. Methods: The subject of this study were 551 children who were attending on the 4~6th grade in elementary school in Seoul. The data were collected using a self-reporting questionnaire for 5 days from October 12 through 16, 2009. Data were all digitized and analyzed using SPSS 17.0K. Results: As for relationship between preventive behavior and the other variables, correlations were observed with sensibility, self efficacy, respond efficacy and behavior intention, and it was statistically significant(p<.001). According to the result of analyzing factors affecting preventive behavior for Novel Influenza A(H1N1), it was affected by variables such as perceived threat, perceived efficacy, behavior intention. Behavior intention was the most influencing variable and has shown influence in order of self efficacy, sensibility, severity and respond efficacy as follows. Conclusion: The results showed effects on preventive behavior of perceived threat, perceived efficacy and behavior intention. It may be beneficial to improve empowerment for students to prevent influenza A(H1N1) by focusing on perceived threat, perceived efficacy, behavior intention.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.273-279
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• 2007

Swine influenza is an acute, infectious respiratory disease caused by type A influenza viruses in pigs. In the previous studies, serological surveys have indicated the presence of H3N2 swine influenza virus (SIV) since 1995 in Korea. And the percentage of the antibody-positive rate was 39.12% in the survey determining the prevalence of H1N1 SIV antibodies in 2002. The purpose of this study was therefore to investigate the sero-prevalence of SIV regard to the age of the pig and the season between June 2004 and May 2005. In this study, a total of 932 sera were used. These sera were randomly selected from blood samples, which were submitted to Department of Veterinary Pathology, Kangwon National University and Department of Veterinary Virology, Seoul National University from June 2004 to May 2005. These sera have been tested by ELISA test kit (IDEXX Lab, USA) for the SIV H3N2, H1N1 respectively. SAS version 9.1 was used for the statistical analysis based on the age of the pig and the season. The overall sero-prevalence of the antibody against H3N2 SIV was 20.82% (194/932). The overall sero-prevalence of the antibody against H1N1 SIV was 37.23% (347/932). The overall dual sero-prevalence of the antibody against H3N2 and H1N1 SIV was 10.62% (99/932). H3N2 has significant difference in statistically regarding the age of the pig and the season (p<0.0001). H1N1 has significant difference in statistically regarding the age of the pig (p<0.0001) but has not significant difference in statistically regarding the season (p=0.5882).

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.61-70
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• 2011

Purpose: To identify factors associated with children's discriminatory attitudes towards fully recovered children who contracted the 2009 Influenza A (H1N1), in order to provide fundamental information to improve health education for children. Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected from the entire 6th grade classes (N=2,323) of 11 elementary schools randomly selected from 11 school districts in the Seoul Metropolitan Area of South Korea. Questionnaires were used to assess participants' knowledge of and attitudes towards the Influenza A (H1N1) virus. Results: Multiple regression analyses were used to investigate the factors associated with children's discriminatory attitudes toward fully recovered children who had contracted the 2009 Influenza A (H1N1). Multiple regression analysis revealed that perceived risk of contracting and knowledge of 2009 influenza A (H1N1) were significant factors in predicting a child's attitude toward fully recovered Influenza A (H1N1) patients, after controlling for socioeconomic variables. Conclusion: The findings suggests that perceived risk and knowledge play important roles in formulating children's appropriate attitudes towards Novel influenza A (H1N1) patients who are fully recovered from the disease. To promote and maximize children's attitudes in this area, health education needs to be directed at children to reduce excessive concern about contracting the virus and to improve their overall health knowledge.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.70 no.3
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• pp.247-250
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• 2011

The pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza outbreak coincided with the typical Scrub typhus season, which can lead to diagnostic difficulties due to their similar and non-specific symptoms. Here we describe a case of laboratory confirmed co-infection of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza and Scrub typhus and discuss the difficulties in distinguishing the two illnesses clinically.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.53-63
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• 1998

Total of 1085 swine sera (1996-1997) from nation-wide were tested for the presence of antibodies to influenza A virus. Fifty nine percent of the tested sera showed seropositive by HI test. Positive sera consisted of 24--- of H3, 15--- of H1, and 20--- of the sample had both antibodies, respectively. Sera collected from various region represented 7~27--- seropositivity to H1N1, 15~25--- to H3N2, respectively. Swine influenza field isolate from nasal swab was characterized antigenically and genetically to elucidate its relatedness with other known strains of influenza A virus. The study was focused on the HA gene which is related to pathogenecity and antigenic variability of the influenza virus. By RT-PCR using influenza A/H1N1 specific primers, influenza virus H1N1 specific DNA fragment was amplified from A/Swine/Iowa/15/30(H1N1), US field isolate but not in H3N2 strain. PCR products were sequenced by dideoxy chain termination method to determine nucleotide homology with other strains of influenza A virus. The US field isolate and A/Swine/Indiana/1726/88 strain had 97--- of nucleotide homology and 98--- of amino acid homology. Based on the results obtained from this experiment, the field isolate was genetically related to A/Swine/Indiana/1726/88 and had higher homology with A/Swine/Indiana/1726/88 than with classical swine influenza virus, A/Swine/Iowa/15/30. The field isolate had no amino acid changes at the antigenic site compare to that of the A/Swine/Indiana/1726/88. The proteolytic enzyme cleavage site between HA1 and HA2 had no alteration and the amino acid arginine was intact. There is no evidence has been found that the field isolate has genetic shift or genetic drift which might altered antigenic determinant.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.520-530
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• 2010

Purpose: In this study influenza A (H1N1) infection control performance and stress in nurses were surveyed, to identify factors influencing stress for the nurses, and to provide basic materials for promoting infectious disease control by nurses. Method: The participants were 447 nurses who had worked at isolation clinics and/or isolation rooms in hub hospitals in the Honam region during the period of the outbreak of 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus. Data were collected in February 2010 using self-report questionnaires. Results: The performance of participants from clinics was high for 'helping patients wearing masks', but low for 'maintaining distance over 1 meter among waiting patients'. The performance of participants from hospital rooms was high for 'putting a surgical mask on a patient going out of the room', but low for 'keeping patients' family out of the room'. The participants' stress was higher in those younger and less experienced nurses, those working at a hospital with 500-999 beds, those working at both isolation clinics and rooms, and those working at a clinic longer. Conclusion: In order to lower nurses' stress from working at isolation clinics/rooms for infectious diseases, we may need to deploy experienced nurses and limit their working days to five or less.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.10
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• pp.1024-1028
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• 2003

Influenza-associated encephalopathy is regarded as one of the major neurologic disease entities along with those of Reye syndrome, acute necrotizing encephalopathy, and myelitis which are known to be related to influenza virus, mostly type A. And it is being actively researched in Japan as it has caused a tremendous increase in the number of deaths from 1997 to 2002, but it has not been yet reported in the Korean pediatric medical community. It attacks those previously healthy children, who have not been vaccinated. Patients start with such symptoms as fever and common respiratory problems, but within 24 to 48 hours they suffer from seizures with acute mental deterioration, become worse, and suffer multiple organ failures including marked elevated transaminase levels as well as coagulopathy. It induces deaths in a couple of days after the symptoms appear or remains a serious neurologic sequelae. Confirmative diagnosis is used to demonstrate influenza viral infection. We report here a 37 month aged boy who was admitted to our hospital during the last influenza season under the diagnosis of influenza associated encephalopathy on the basis of serologic testing by hemagglutinin inhibition(HI). This is the first report confirmed by increased antibody titer of the influenza A virus in Korea.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.193-200
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• 2011

Purpose : The effect of corticosteroid on severe pneumonia caused by 2009 pandemic influenza (H1N1) A virus is controversial. This study was aimed to present the effects of early, short-term corticosteroid treatment for severe pneumonia with this virus infection. Methods : A retrospective analysis was performed on severe pneumonia patients (37 patients) who had severe respiratory distress at presentation requiring oxygen therapy and received intravenous methylprednisolone (MP, 8-10 mg/kg, divided in 4 doses/day for 2-3 days) with oseltamivir. The clinical and laboratory characteristics of the patients were evaluated through the medical records and chest radiographic findings. Results : The mean age and male-to-female ratio of the patients were 6.5${\pm}$2.9 years of age, and 3.4:1 (male 29 patients), respectively. The 5-9 aged group was predominant among the age groups (25 patients, 67.6%). Duration of fever prior to admission was 1.4${\pm}$0.6 days and dyspnea developed within 24 h after beginning of respiratory symptoms in all patients. All patients were previously healthy and received oseltamivir within 48 h. Thirteen patients (35.1%) developed dyspnea during oseltamivir treatment. Following MP infusion, all 37 patients including 13 progressive pneumonia patients during oseltamivir treatment showed an immediate halt in the progression of pneumonic infiltration with rapid clinical improvement. There were no side-effects following steroid use. Conclusion : For severe pneumonia patients, early corticosteroid treatment halted clinical exacerbation, and possibly prevented progression to acute respiratory distress syndrome. Further controlled clinical studies are needed for the role of corticosteroids and antivirals on severely affected patients with influenza virus infections.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.512-516
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• 2008

To search for anit-H5N1 influenza virus agent, the anti-viral activity of methanol and aqueous extracts from thirty medicinal plants were examined in this study. The plant material (30 g) was extracted with methanol (300 mL) for 24 hr at room temperature. Methanol extracts were filtered and evaporated, then freeze-dried. Aqueous extracts were prepared with dried plant material (30 g) and hot distilled water (300 mL). After 3 hr, the aqueous extracts were filtered and evaporated, then lyophilized. Extracts prepared from different plants were tested the antiviral activity against influenza viruses [A/vietnam/1194/04 (H5N1)-NIBRG-14] using the hemagglutination (HA) assay. Among the test plants, Asarum sieboldii was found to be a potent inhibitor of H5N1 influenza virus in MDCK cell culture. Virus titers were 7 log, whereas with methanol extract of Asarum sieboldii for 48 hr titers were 3 log, indicating that methanol extract of Asarum sieboldii inhibited the H5N1 influenza viruses from the infected cells.