• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.405-411
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• 2011

Avian influenza virus vaccines produced in oil-emulsified inactivated form with antigen content of at least 160 hemagglutinin units (HAU) induced immunity in birds. However, in addition to enhancing the effect of the adjuvant(s), other additional supplemented biological compounds included in inactivated vaccines could produce higher levels of antibody. We examined in chickens, Vietnamese ducks, and muscovy ducks the adjuvant effect of Sophy ${\beta}$-glucan (SBG), a ${\beta}$-1,3-1,6 glucan produced by the black yeast Aureobasidium pollulans strain AF0-202, when administered with an avian influenza H5 subtype vaccine. In Experiment 1, 40 chickens (ISA Brown hybrid), allocated to four groups of ten each, were immunized with Oil-H5N1(VN), Oil-H5N1(CN), Oil-H5N2(CN), and saline (control group), respectively. In Experiment 2, chickens (ISA Brown hybrid), muscovy ducks (French hybrid), and Vietnamese ducks (indigenous Vietnamese) were used to further assess the effect of SBG on immunogenicity of the Oil-H5N1(VN) Vietnamese vaccine. ELISA and hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assays were used to assess the antibody response. The H5 subtype vaccines initiated significantly higher immune responses in the animals dosed with SBG, with 1.0-1.5 $log_2$ higher HI titers and 10-20% ELISA seroconversion, compared with those not dosed with ${\beta}$-glucan. Notably, some of the animals dosed with SBG induced HI titers higher than 9.0 $log_2$ following boosting immunization. Taken together, our serial studies indicated that SBG is a potential effector, such as enhancing the immune response to the H5 vaccines tested.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.223-230
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• 2012

The worldwide distribution and continuing genetic mutation of avian influenza virus (AIV) has been posed a great threat to human and animal health. A comparison of 3 isolates of AIV H9N2, A/chicken/Korea/KBNP-0028/00 (H9N2) (KBNP-0028), A/chicken/Korea/SNU8011/08 (H9N2) (SNU 8011) and an inactivated oil vaccine strain A/chicken/Korea/01310/01 (H9N2) (01310), was performed. The former 2 AIVs were isolated from field cases before and after the application of an inactivated H9N2 vaccine in 2007, respectively. The antigenic relationship, viral shedding, tissue tropism and genetic analysis were examined. The comparison of virus shedding from the cloaca and the oropharynx revealed that both isolates were more frequently isolated from the upper respiratory tract (90~100%) 1 day post inoculation (DPI) compared with isolation 5 DPI from gastrointestinal tracts (10~60%). Moreover, the isolate KBNP-0028 were recovered from all organs including bone marrow, brain and kidneys, indicating higher ability for broad tissue dissemination than that of SNU 8011. KBNP-0028 replicated earlier than other strains and with a higher titer than SNU 8011. In full-length nucleotide sequences of the NA gene and a partial sequence of the HA gene of SNU 8011, we found that there might be significant changes in tissue tropism, virus replication and genetic mutation in AIV H9N2 isolates.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.230-238
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• 2013

Objectives: For our survey of the incidence of influenza viruses among respiratory viral infections in Seoul, we evaluated their prevalence among infectious acute respiratory viral patients in Seoul from 2010 to 2012 through regular surveillance. Methods: For influenza virus detection, we conducted real-time PCR analyses on 2,544 throat specimens collected from patients with respiratory viral infections in Seoul between 2010 and 2012. They were collected and then tested for the presence of influenza viruses through reverse transcription (RT) - polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: 19.1% (486/2,544) of the throat specimens were determined to be positive for influenza viruses. The incidences of influenza viral infection in the case of respiratory viral infections through regular surveillance in Seoul were 23.0% (212/923) in 2010, 6.4% (47/738) in 2011, and 25.7% (227/883) in 2012, and 10.8% (275/2,544) of type A, and 8.3% (211/2,544) type B influenza viruses. In addition, the greatest prevalence was in the 20-49 age group (51.6% ), which shows that influenza viruses constituted a major causative agent of acute respiratory viral infections. Conclusions: The distributions of influenza viruses and the epidemiologic patterns of the viral pathogen in acute respiratory viral infectious patients may provide potentially effective data for epidemiological studies in Seoul, Korea.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.165-175
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• 2013

Purpose: There was a global increase in the prevalence of oseltamivir-resistant influenza viruses during the 2007-2008 influenza season. This study was conducted to investigate the occurrence and characteristics of oseltamivir-resistant influenza viruses during the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 influenza seasons among patients who were treated with oseltamivir (group A) and those that did not receive oseltamivir (group B). Methods: A prospective study was conducted on 321 pediatric patients who were hospitalized because of influenza during the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 influenza seasons. Drug resistance tests were conducted on influenza viruses isolated from 91 patients. Results: There was no significant difference between the clinical characteristics of groups A and B during both seasons. Influenza A/H1N1, isolated from both groups A and B during the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 periods, was not resistant to zanamivir. However, phenotypic analysis of the virus revealed a high oseltamivir $IC_{50}$ range and that H275Y substitution of the neuraminidase (NA) gene and partial variation of the hemagglutinin (HA) gene did not affect its antigenicity to the HA vaccine even though group A had a shorter hospitalization duration and fewer lower respiratory tract complications than group B. In addition, there was no significant difference in the clinical manifestations between oseltamivir-susceptible and oseltamivir-resistant strains of influenza A/H1N1. Conclusion: Establishment of guidelines to efficiently treat influenza with oseltamivir, a commonly used drug for treating influenza in Korean pediatric patients, and a treatment strategy with a new therapeutic agent is required.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.83-86
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• 2011

New epidemics of infectious diseases often involve health care workers. In this short communication we present a case report of a health care professional who became the first case of influenza H1N1 virus to be notified in the United Arab Emirates. There are several issues related to workplace considerations and general public health, including preventive measures, the need for isolation of the patient, dealing with contacts, return to work, and communication with the workforce.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.61-64
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• 2015

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) occurred in the breeder duck farms in Jeonbuk of in Korea on January to February 2014. Clinically, the most ducks showed various signs from depression, dropped egg production and feed consumption to even, death. The most commonly gross changes were hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, petechial and ecchymotic hemorrhage on the liver surface, a white stripe on the cardiac muscle, multifocal hemorrhagic foci in pancreas, and severely hemorrhagic embryos. The most significant signs of H5N8 virus was supposed to specific on ducks. The viral antigen was mainly detected in the endothelium of blood vessels of various organs and tissues, peripheral nerves, and neuronal cells. Based on the above results, we identified that HPAI H5N8 induced systemic infection in the adult breeder ducks.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.449-454
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• 2004

Ninety pigs under the age of 120-day-old requested at the diagnostic laboratory of animal diseases in Cheju National University were evaluated for the prevalence of tissue antigen and serum antibody to swine influenza virus (SIV). For histopathologic examination there was sampled at the consolidated area in cranioventral or dorsocaudal lobes of lungs. Lung tissues from all pigs were tested for the antigen of SIV type A by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Sera from 56 pigs were used for the antibody detection to SIV type A (subtype H1N1 and H3N2) by haemagglutinin inhibition test. Pneumonic lesions were observed in 72 cases (80%) of 90 pigs. Broncho-interstitial or interstitial pneumonia were more prevalent than suppurative or fibrinous bronchopneumonia. According to HI test, 46.4% of the tested sera showed seropositive. Positive sera were consisted with 5.3% for SIV H1N1, 28.6% for SIV H3N2, and 12.5% for both subtype to be tested, respectively. SIV antigens were detected in 51 cases(56.6%) of 90 pigs. Most SIV antigens were presented in the epithelium of the bronchi and bronchiole. Necrotizing bronchitis or bronchiolitis were observed in 28(31.1%) cases of all inspected pigs. These results suggested that SIV might be an important role to induce swine pneumonia in Jeju. Also IHC was very useful for the detection of SIV in the lung.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.107-116
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• 2015

In this study, we developed a rapid, sensitive and specific reverse-transcriptase loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay for detection of swine influenza viruse (SIV) including major subtypes of swine influenza viruses H1N1, H1N2 and H3N2, and a novel subtype of influenza A virus that accidentally infected in pig population. The RT-LAMP was completed in 40 min at $58^{\circ}C$ and the sensitivity of the RT-LAMP ($1copy/{\mu}L$) was 10-fold higher than conventional reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) ($10copy/{\mu}L$) and the same to real time RT-PCR ($1copy/{\mu}L$). Also, the result of the RT-LAMP can be confirmed without any detection system. Therefore, the RT-LAMP could be a alternative diagnostic method for SIV detection in national SIV monitoring system and clinical diagnostic laboratory in the future.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.567-576
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• 2010

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to examine selected people's knowledge of Influenza A(HINI), their self-efficacy, social norms, awareness of the gravity of the infection of the flu, behavioral intention, preventive behavior, the impact of their knowledge of the flu on those variables and the relationship of the variables, as the spread of the flu has been accelerated. Methods : The subjects in this study were 484 health-related majors at two selected colleges selected by random sampling from the metropolitan area. Results : As for connections between knowledge of the 2009 H1N1 and self-efficacy, the students who were knowledgeable about the flu got a mean of 3.24, and those whose knowledge was on an intermediate level got 3.08. The students who didn't know well about that got 2.91. The students who were better informed were ahead of those who were less informed in terms of self-efficacy, and the intergroup gap was statistically significant(p<0.01). In relation to self-efficacy, the better-informed students scored higher than the less-informed ones in both of the two items: whether to know how to cope with the spread of the 2009 H1N1(p<0.01), and whether to be able to be ready for the spread of it(p<0.01). The intergroup gaps were statistically significant. Conclusions : The knowledge of the students about Influence A(H1N1) and their preventive behavior were analyzed in association with the spread of the flu, and there were no differences in actual preventive behavior though they were not the same in terms of behavioral intention. Therefore health education programs should be prepared to improve not only their knowledge but their attitude and preventive skills to boost their preventive behavior.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.9-14
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• 2011

The fruit body of Forsythiae Fructus (Oleaceae), a common Korean medical herb, is widely used in the treatment of cold and inflammation. In order to elucidate the action mechanism and the active principles from the plant against anti-influenza virus, the influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) gene RT-PCR and Viral Screening & Identification (VSI) assay were conducted, and the activity against viral replication was also investigated. Consequently, one active constituent, namely pinoresinol showed the in vitro antiviral principle using a cytopathic effect (CPE) reduction method, indicating pinoresinol possessed anti-influenza viral activity. Furthermore, combination of pinoresinol and Tamiflu exhibited higher activities than Tamiflu alone against influenza virus (H3N2) infection. The results suggested that combination of pinoresinol with Tamiflu could be a better candidate for an ant-H3N2 viral agent in the treatment of the influenza.