• Title/Summary/Keyword: Infection Prevention

Search Result 1,426, Processing Time 0.026 seconds

Risk Factors of Nosocomial Rotavirus Infections in Children (소아 로타바이러스 원내 감염의 위험 인자)

  • Park, Sin Ae;Yu, Sun Hee;Lim, Seon Woong;Choi, Kyung Dan
    • Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
    • /
    • v.48 no.4
    • /
    • pp.395-400
    • /
    • 2005
  • Purpose :Rotavirus is one of the most important causes of nosocomial infections among children. The aim of this study is to determine the risk of nosocomial rotavirus infections and to evaluate the effectiveness of breast-feeding and probiotics in the prevention of nosocomial rotavirus infections. Methods : This study was carried out on admitted children without diarrhea between March 1, 2003 and February 29, 2004. Three hundred ninety patients aged 4 days to 13 years during this study were available. We examined the feces of all children for rotavirus by latex agglutination on admission, during hospital, and after discharge, to see whether they developed diarrhea or not. Results : Nosocomial rotavirus infections was significantly increased with children under 12 months of age(P=0.008). The monthly attack rate was great between December and March(P=0.046). Prolonged hospital stay was associated with an increased attack rate of nosocomial rotavirus infections (P=0.003). The risk of nosocomial rotavirus infections was not associated with the number of roommates and whether or not they were breast-fed or fed on probiotics. Conclusion : Nosocomial rotavirus infections are significantly more likely to occur in children under 12 months of age, admitted between December and March, and with prolonged hospital stays. Prompt identification and isolation of children with nosocomial rotavirus infections, even without diarrhea, may decrease rates of nosocomial rotavirus infections.

Community development and parasite control (지역사회개발(地域社會開發)과 기생충(寄生虫))

  • Rim, Han-Jong
    • Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
    • /
    • v.1 no.1
    • /
    • pp.10-21
    • /
    • 1976
  • The traditional application of night soil to vegetable gardens and rice paddies results in a most wide spread condition of parasitism, with a variety of helminths found in Korea. In addition to the above fact, the peculiar habit of the consumption of raw vegetables, fish, crustaceans and mammals provides a means of infestations of helminths. During the last sixty years numerous reports were found on the prevalence of helminths amongst the Korean population in different parts of the country, and it was generally recognized that ascariasis, hookworm disease, filariasis, clonorchiasis and paragonimiasis constitute the important helminthic disease in Korea. In practical measures of parasite control activities the main measures are summarized as mass-treatment, night-soil disposal and transmission control. Among the three, the mass-treatment has been commonly applied, however, no reduction of transmission has been obtained by treatment of a population. Therefore, the ultimate eradication of parasites will depend upon the application of comprehensive environmental sanitation measures. The basic environmental measures will be concerned with (a) the safe disposal of human excreta, (b) the provision of adequate and safe water supplies in such a way as to promote a higher standard of personal hygiene in the population, and (c) the prevention of food contamination by faecal material. Additional environmental measures will deal with the improvement of housing and housing hygiene and with general community development. Community development means social and cultural as well as economic development. The control measures on the parasitic endemic diseases, such as clonorchiasis and paragonimiasis are the good examples for community health development in Korea. The control of Clonorchis and Paragonimus infections are theoretically very simple, as the infection can only invade the human body by way of encysted metacercaria which are taken into the body when eating passive intermediate hosts(fishes, crabs and crayfishes). Although prophylactic measures in the case of the infections deal with above merely consist the fishes in cooking or submerging in hot water before eating them, it is exceedingly difficult to carry out such simple measures in face of century old traditions, to which the relatively primitive population clings with great tenacity. There is no one universally applicable method of control. The choice of methods must be dictated by the nature of the environment. the habit and custom of the people. the pattern of transmission and the resources of the country. There must exist a well organized public health infrastructure. Since a control programme is of necessity on a longterm basis and continuity in its implementation is essential. An investigation should be made on the prevalence of the diseases and its relationships to irrigation engineering, freshwater ecology, agricultural methods, hydro-electric schemes, and the development of communities in affected areas. In conclusion, however. the control of clonorchiasis and paragonimiasis in Korea is not an impossible task. A combination of efforts with major emphasis on health education and mass chemotherapy coupled with governmental aid in enforcing legislative public health measures could reduce the diseases. Health education in particular attempts following four things: (a) It supplies a person with enough general knowledge about a disease to make the preventive measures. (b) It makes a person feel sufficiently about the importance of his own health to make him alter his behavior and adopt these preventive measure. (c) It makes him concerned for the health others. (d) It tries to make him feel so strongly about the first three that be supports and even initiates preventive action by the community. Educational efforts should be directed primarily toward school children because it is during the early years that most persons become infected, and also because children are less entrenched in their food habits so that, the educational process should be involved at various levels in successive changes of knowledge, attitude, beha viour, habit and custom of their lives. The most parasitic endemic diseases are related to community diseases. In caring for a sick community. the first stage is to gather epidemiological data, the next is to make inferences from it-to make the community diagnosis. The third is to prescribe community treatment or community health action part of a community health action programme. The community health action is the sum of the steps decided upon to remedy the critical features revealed by the community diagnosis. Action takes various forms; health education is the most important.

  • PDF

A Study on Health Aspects of Daily Life of Elementary School Children in an Urban Area (일부도시국민학교취학아동의 보건생활에 관한 실태조사연구)

  • 구외행
    • Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
    • /
    • v.3 no.3
    • /
    • pp.36-49
    • /
    • 1973
  • This study was carried out for the objectives to collect the basic informations on the health behaviors of the elementary school children in an urban area in Korea. Seven hundred students were drawn to fill in the designed questionnaire which carries variety of Questions on health re-lated behaviors in general, eating habits, disease history, mental health, and sex education. Questionnaire were filled in by their parents. Major findings are as follows: ① 55.7% had habits of washing the hands before eating whereas 59.8% trashing their hands after toilet. The others had no idea of washing hands before eating and after toilet. ② 26,5% had habits of brushing the teeth twice a day 54.7% only once in the morning, and 2.6% once only in the evening. Thus, the idea of prevention from decayed teeth seems to be lacking among the school children. ③ Bathing habits were also inquired to get 40.3% of bathing more than once a week, 43.1% once every two weeks, and the rest of 16.6% once every one to three months. ④ 41.7% keep the regular bedding time whereas 58.3% irregular. Physical exercises were con-ducted by 76.6% on the ground while 23.5% did not practice any physical exercises at all. Of those physical exercises, rope skipping occupied 37.5%, and the other 66.9% consisted of 14 different kinds of individual type physical exercises such as gymnastic exercise. The main reasons for not enjoying exercises were different by sex; boys largely complained the inadequacy and lack of gymnastic facilities and girls felt in short of friends who could join the exercises. ⑤ 31.9% of the school children had been taking not much of food while 28.3% had unbalanced diets. Of these unbalanced diets, meat occupied 33.2% to be the priority to have an order of the following items such as vegetables, bread or noodle, and fishes as next to each. For eating habits, 88.5% take simple snack such as bread (38.4%, cookies, fruits, and candies in order. 25.8% of the children were provided such snacks or their parents regularly. Breakfast was sufficiently taken by 45.0% whereas 8.4% had never sufficiently. As to the lunch, 63.6% had sufficiently while 16.8% insufficiently. 70.6% take breakfast with all family members together and 30.4% separately. Correlation of sufficient taking of breakfast and eating together of tile family member's seems to be significant when we compare 72.5% of sufficient takers who enjoy breakfast together with the family members with 55.6% of insufficient takers who enjoy it with the family. This finding allows the investigator to point out the importance of table circumstances for children's eating. ⑥ The most common disease was catching a cold (38.8%), and the second was stomach trouble to be followed by the frequency of car sickness, headache, and skin infection. Doctors are consulted only by 23.9% when they are sick whereas 59.7% resorted to the drug stores. The lower the educational attainment of the parents, the lower the rate of visiting clinics. ⑦ 36.7% of their parents pointed out the problems of personality guidance as the most difficult thing at home 71.3% of their parents worried about and unsatisfied with their children's personality traits. Of these complains of the parents, impatience stood at the top to be tabulated at 24.1%, and 21.1% indicated narrow-mindedness. In line with this primary socialization at home, the most crucial problem seems to be related with the lack or recognition of the parents'own role when we find only 43.1% of the parents understood the importance of their own role for the home education of children; the latter group attributed tile responsibility of personality formation to the children themselves. ⑧ As to the sex educational aspects, 30.9% of children have ever asked about the physiology of reproduction or sexual matters to their parents, of those parents only 17.0% could give the constructive responses to the inquiries of the children. In companies on with these data, 25.6% recognized their own role in sex education for their own children while the large segments of the parents (51.1%) attributed the responsibility of sex education to tile low level of 38.3% who recognized the importance of sex education in the school curriculum and 25.1% of the parents insisted to wait until they get to know naturally about sex. 38.1% of the parents said they had some knowledge on sex from books while 16.9% through mass media. The next groups had common senses of sex from their own parents, school friends and other sources.

  • PDF

Factors Affecting Clinical Course of BCG Lymphadenitis (BCG 림파선염의 경과에 영향을 미치는 인자들에 대한 연구)

  • Na, Kyong Hee;Rim, Sung Soo;Kim, Eun Yong;Kim, Kyoung Sim;Kim, Yong Wook
    • Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
    • /
    • v.8 no.2
    • /
    • pp.181-190
    • /
    • 2001
  • Purpose : Lymphadenitis is the most common complication of BCG vaccination and has various clinical course and prognosis, but there are no accurate guidelines for management of BCG lymphadenitis. We performed this study to reveal the clinical course of BCG lymphadenitis and provide guidelines for its management. Methods : From January, 1997, to May, 2000, 73 patients in the 3~24 months were enrolled. We investigated retrospectively the size, site, and number of lymphadenitis, tuberculin skin test induration, used BCG strains, vaccination age, injection site, treatment and clinical course. The effects of various variables on clinical course were evaluated. Results : 1) There were no statistically significant difference between lymphadenitis size and tuberculin test induration diameter, spontaneous resolution rate, and suppuration rate. 2) Later vaccination(${\geq}1$ mo) and supraclavicular lymphadenitis increased suppuration rate. Using domestic BCG product increased surgical treatment rate. 3) According to treatment(observation vs antituberculous medication), medication did not affect the prevention of suppuration and ironically increased the rate of suppuration and surgical treatment. 4) Suppurative lymphadenitis required more surgical treatment than non-supurative one. Conclusions : Clinical course of BCG lymphadenitis is affected by vaccination age, used BCG strains, site of lymphadenitis, antituberculous medication and suppuration, but not affected by size and number of lymphadenitis. For management of BCG lymphadenitis, systemic antituberculous medicaion is not recommended and regular follow up with observation should be the mainstay. But for suppuration, active surgical en bloc resection should be the treatment of choice.

  • PDF

A Study on Nutritional Anemia of Pre-school Children in Korea (한국 미취학 아동의 영양성 빈혈에 관한 연구)

  • Tchai, B.S.;Chu, D.S.
    • Journal of Nutrition and Health
    • /
    • v.4 no.1
    • /
    • pp.1-19
    • /
    • 1971
  • Nutritional anemia is an important nutritional problem affecting large population groups in most developing countries. Nutritional anemia is caused by the absence of any dietary essential involed in hemoglobin formation or by poor absorption of these dietary components. The most likely causes are lack of dietary iron, and folate, vitamin $B_{12}$ and high qualify protein. Anemia is considered to be a late mainfeastation of nutritional deficiencies, and even mild anemia is not the earilest sign of such a deficiency. Therefore, the object of therapy is to correct underlying deficiency rather than merely its manifestation. Iron deficiency anemia is generally much the most common form of anemia. And it is very prevalent particularly in pregnant women and young children, especially under five year of life. According to the rapid growth rate of infants, dietary iron should he provided for infants over three months of age in adequate amounts for the synthesis of hemoglobin required by the increasing blood volume and for the demands of newly formed cells. The principal causes of iron deficiency anemia are an inadequate dietary iron content, interference with absorption of iron from the intestine, excessive losses of iron from the body, disturbance of iron metabolism by infection, and social and cultural environments. The present study is planned to obtain informations concerning nutritional anemia through anthropometric and biochemical determinations for the assessment of nutriture in pre-school children. Determination was taken in 226 pre-school children in ruraI arae in 1968, 122 pre-school children in 1970, and 1526 hospitalized pre-school children in 1970. The results of this study are as follows; (1) According to Iowa Malnutrition Borderline (85 percentile) for weight, the proportions of underweighed pre-school boys and girls in rural area were 47.2% and 46.2% in1968, and were 36.1% and 51.8% in 1970. According to Iowa Malnutrition Borderline for height, the proportions of underheight boys and girls in rural area were 30.5% and 33.7%, and were 26.2% and 21.8% in 1970. Malnutrition scores of underweight for height values of boys and girls in rural area were 19.3 and 17.3 in 1968, and the scores of boys and girls were 15.6 and 15.5 in 1970. (2) The mean hemoglobin values of boys and girls in rural area were $11.2{\pm}1.8g/100ml\;and\;11.4{\pm}1.6g/100ml$ in 1968. In 1970, the mean values of boys and girls in rural area were $11.3{\pm}1.3g/100ml\;and\;11.7{\pm}2.4g/100ml$. The mean hemoglobin values of hospitalized boys and girls were $11.9{\pm}2.2g/100ml\;and\;11.7{\pm}2.4g/100ml$ in 1970. It is found that 92 of 215 children (42.7%) in rural area had concentrations of hemoglobin less than 11.0g/100ml in 1968. In 1970, 55 of 121 children (45.4%) in rural area and 559 of 1526 hospitalized children (36.6%) had concentrations of hemoglobin less than 11.0g/100ml. (3) The mean hematocrit levels of hospitalized boys and girls were $35{\pm}26.8%\;and\;35.4{\pm}6.4%$ in 1970. And 443 of 1334 hospitalized children (33.2%) had hematocrit values below 33%. (4) The average mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration levels of hospitalized boys and girls were $32.4{\pm}2.2\;and\;32.3{\pm}2.2$ in 1970. And 1016 of 1352 hospitalized children (75.1%) had the mean corpuscular hemoglobin values below 34. (5) The mean iron values of young children in rural area and hospitalized children were $62.0{\pm}6.3{\mu}g/100ml\;and\;60.7{\pm}22.8{\mu}g/100ml$. The proportions of anemia cases below $50{\mu}g/100ml$ in rural area was 37.9%, and 34.3% in hospitalized children. (6) The mean total iron binding capacity of young children in rural area was $376{\pm}57.88{\mu}g/100ml,\;and\;342.2{\pm}6.15{\mu}g/100ml$ in hospitalized children. (7) The average transferrin saturation percentage of young children in rural area was $16.9{\pm}4.7%,\;and\;18.0{\pm}8.4%$ in hospitalized children. The proportions of anemia cases below 15% of young chi1dren in rural area and hospitalized children were 48.3% and 41.2%. Therefore, authors wish to recommend that the following further studies should be undertaken: (1) Standardization of simplied laboratory examination of nutritional anemia. (2) The prevalence of nutritional anemia and the requirements of iron, folate, and vitamin $B_{12}$ of pre-school children. (3) The content and absorption of iron in Korean food. (4) The pathogenesis of nutritional anemia and prevention of parasitic disease. (5) Maternal health and nutrition education.

  • PDF

Viral Patterns and Clincal Analysis of Acute Respiratory Tract Infections of Children in Korea(September, 1998~August, 2002) (바이러스에 의한 소아 급성 하기도 감염의 유행 및 임상양상(1998년 9월~2002년 8월))

  • Lee, Su-Jin;Park, Eun-Young;Oh, Phil-Soo;Lee, Kon-Hee;Kim, Kwang-Nam;Lee, Kyu-Man
    • Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
    • /
    • v.10 no.1
    • /
    • pp.102-113
    • /
    • 2003
  • Purpose : Acute respiratory tract infections are the most common illnesses in children. The great majority of these infections involving lower respiratory tracts infections(LRTI) are caused by respiratory viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus(RSV), parainfluenza virus (PIV), influenza virus(INF), adenovirus(ADV), etc. Our purpose of this study was to examine the seasonal occurrence, clinical and laboratory features of each viral infections. Methods : Nasopharyngeal aspirates(NPA) were collected from 913 hospitalized children on the first day of admission. They were all admitted to Hangang Sacred Heart hospital and diagnosed as LRTIs. The study period was from September 1998 to August 2002. Specimens were inoculated onto HEp-2 cell, LLC-MK2 cell and MDCK cell. Viruses were detected by immunofluorescent method performed at day 10 postinoculation. Respiratory viruses were detected in 251(27%) cases. Medical records of 208 cases diagnosed as acute LRTIs were all taken reviewed and analyzed. Results : The identified pathogens were RSV 122 cases(58%), PIV 30 cases(14%), INFA 20 cases(10%), INFB 21 cases(11%) and ADV 15 cases(7%) during the study period. Outbreaks of RSV infections occurred every year but mostly on December, 1998 and November, 1999. LRTIs by PIV and ADV occurred during all seasons of the year. INFA was isolated moslty on March, 1999 and January, 2000. INFB infections occurred largely on April, 2002. The clinical diagnoses were bronchiolitis 88 cases(43%), pneumonia 87 cases(42%), croup 19 cases(9%) and tracheobronchitis 14 cases(6%). Common symptoms and signs were cough, rhinorrhea, sputum and fever. WBC counts in peripheral blood showed normal findings in 123 cases(59%). Each viral infections also showed some differences in auscultatory findings and chest X-ray findings. Conclusion : We learned that viruses are one of the major and important etiologic agents of acute LRTIs of children in Korea. However, we still need to find out more about its characteristic clinical features and continue studying on their seasonal occurrence to focus on their management and also prevention.

  • PDF

Lung Preservation Study for Above 20 Hours of LPDG Solution in Canine Lung Allotransplactation (폐이식 실험견에서 LPDG용액을 이용한 20시간 이상 폐보존효과 관찰)

  • Park, Chang-Gwon;Gwon, Geon-Yeong;Yu, Yeong-Seon
    • Journal of Chest Surgery
    • /
    • v.30 no.10
    • /
    • pp.949-960
    • /
    • 1997
  • Background. Limited ischemic tolerance of the lung has remained one of the factors that limits the expansion of pulmonary transplantation as a treatment for end-stage pulmonary disease. Numerous studies on safe long term preservation for lung transplantation has been performed for the purpose of developing ideal preservation solution with extracellular type or intracellular type solutions. In this. study, we examined the efficacy of L DG solution in lung preservation longer than 20 hours by comparison with modified Euro-Collins solution. Iwethods. Thirty-(our adult mongrel dogs were divided into two groups. Donor lungs were flushed with LPDG solution(n=9) or modified Euro-Collins(MEC) solution(n=8) and stored for 24 hours at 1$0^{\circ}C$. All donor lungs were perfused through the pulmonary arteries with solutions containing prostaglandin El and verapamil. Left canine lung allotransplantations wereperformed. Assessment(hemodynamic indices and arterial blood gas analysis) of left implanted lung was made by occluding the right pulmonary artery for ten minutes using pulmonary artery Cuff. Assessment was repeated at the interval of 30 minutes, one hour, and two hours later after reperfusion and then chest X-ray, computed tomogram and lung perfusion scan were obtained. In survival dogs follow-up studies were done with assessment with chest X-ray, computed tomogram of the chest and lung perfusion scan on 7th day postoperatively. After preservation above 20 hours, pathological examinations for ultrastructural findings on right lung were performed in each group. Results. With respect to arterial oxygen tension, LPDG group was superior to MEC but there was no statistical significance for 2 hours after reperfusion. Mean pulmonary artery pressure was less increased(p < 0.05) and cardiac output higher(p <0.05) than MEC group until 2 hours after reperfusion. After 2 hours of reperfusion, both groups showed transplanted lung function deteriorated gradually. Perfusion scan of the transplanted lung in LPDG group showed better perfusion rate in immediate post-reperfusion, 3 days and 7 days later respectively but there was no statistical significance and corelation with PaO2 and computed tomoRravhic views. In scanning electron microscopy of pulmonary artery after preservation, LPDG group relatively shows less irregular protrusion of the inner surface of endothelial cell of poulmonary artery than MEC group. Conclusions, e concluded that LPDG solution can offer safe lung preservation above 20 hours with adequate immunosuppressive therapy and prevention of the infection.

  • PDF

The Anti-Bacterial Effect of Witch Hazel(Hamamelis virginiana) on Oral Pathogens (Witch hazel(Hamamelis virginiana)의 구강병원균에 대한 항균 효과)

  • Ryu, Seong-Yong;Ahn, Hyung-Joon;Kwon, Jeong-Seung;Park, Ju-Hyun;Kim, Jae-Young;Choi, Jong-Hoon
    • Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
    • /
    • v.33 no.2
    • /
    • pp.159-166
    • /
    • 2008
  • An ideal anti-bacterial medication for oral infection requires selective effect on pathogens causing dental caries and periodontal disease but not on normal flora. In addition, it should be less toxic for human and even for environment. This study was to seek such a natural anti-bacterial medication and thus anti-bacterial effect of Hamamelis virginiana was evaluated. Many recent researches on the anti-bacterial effect of natural plant extract and essential oil have reported that natural products can be used as medication for prevention and restrainment of dental caries, halitosis and periodontitis. It has been also reported that Hamamelis virginiana has anti-bacterial effect on Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Capnocytophaga gingivalis, Veilonella parvula, Eikenella corrodens, Peprostreptococcus micros, and Actinomyces odontolyticus. This study evaluated anti-bacterial effect of Hamamelis virginiana on Streptoccoccus mutans, Haemophylus actinomycetemcomitans, and Klebsiella pneumoniae to expand its anti-bacterial effect on other important oral pathogens and eventually to develop its oral care products or apply to clinical purpose. In this study, anti-bacterial tests for antibiotic disk susceptibility, minimal inhibitory concentration and minimal bactericidal concentration were performed to evaluate anti-bacterial effect of Hamamelis virginiana against Streptoccoccus mutans, Haemophylus actinomycetemcomitans, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The results showed that Hamamelis virginiana has anti-bacterial effect on all pathogen strains tested in this study and furthermore Hamamelis virginiana possesses bactericidal effect other than bacteriostatic effect on Streptoccoccus mutans, Haemophylus actinomycetemcomitans, Klebsiella pneumoniae. This study indicates that a natural anti-bacterial medication for oral diseases can be developed using Hamamelis virginiana.

DISTRIBUTION OF AIRBORNE BACTERIA BY HANDPIECE AEROSOL CONDITIO (핸드피스 분무조건에 따른 부유세균 기균(氣菌) 의 분포)

  • Ko, Young-Han;Baik, Byeong-Ju;Kim, Jae-Gon;Yang, Yeon-Mi;Shin, Jeong-Geun
    • Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
    • /
    • v.35 no.4
    • /
    • pp.628-634
    • /
    • 2008
  • In recent years, cross-contamination has become one of the noticeable issues in dental clinic. Two major routes of contamination are the direct-contamination through blood and oral secretion and the indirect-contamination through dental office equipments. Especially, air-contamination through air-floating pollutant in a confined space like hospital, and also contamination through aerosol ejected from high-speed handpiece in a dental office was interested. The purpose of this study was to understand risk of bacterial infection through aerosol from handpiece in a dental office, which will help the practitioner with prevention of contamination during dental treatment. The main findings are as follows. 1. In a comparative test, the group using handpiece has higher bacterial number than the group not using handpiece with significant statistical difference(P<0.01). 2. The group using handpiece with rubber dam has lower bacterial number than the group using handpiecewithout rubber dam with significant statistical difference(P<0.01). 3. Comparing the group using drainage water with the group using distilled water as a handpiece water source results in 22.4 cfu and 17.0 cfu respectively but the difference is no statistically significant(P>0.05). 4. Measuring cfu at 0.5m and 1.5m distance, 0.5m distance showed higher bacterial number with statistical significance(P<0.01). 5. Classification of bacterial types showed the largest bacterial number came from gram-positive micrococcus(73.9%), and gram-negative micrococcus, gram-negative bacillus, and gram-positive bacillus follow in descending order.

  • PDF

Analysis of Potential Infection Site by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Using Model Patterns of Avian Influenza Outbreak Area in Republic of Korea (국내 조류인플루엔자 발생 지역의 모델 패턴을 활용한 고병원성조류인플루엔자(HPAI)의 감염가능 지역 분석)

  • EOM, Chi-Ho;PAK, Sun-Il;BAE, Sun-Hak
    • Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
    • /
    • v.20 no.2
    • /
    • pp.60-74
    • /
    • 2017
  • To facilitate prevention of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), a GIS is widely used for monitoring, investigating epidemics, managing HPAI-infected farms, and eradicating the disease. After the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in 2010 and 2011, the government of the Republic of Korea (ROK) established the GIS-based Korean Animal Health Integrated System (KAHIS) to avert livestock epidemics, including HPAI. However, the KAHIS is not sufficient for controlling HPAI outbreaks due to lack of responsibility in fieldwork, such as sterilization of HPAI-infected poultry farms and regions, control of infected animal movement, and implementation of an eradication strategy. An outbreak prediction model to support efficient HPAI control in the ROK is proposed here, constructed via analysis of HPAI outbreak patterns in the ROK. The results show that 82% of HPAI outbreaks occurred in Jeolla and Chungcheong Provinces. The density of poultry farms in these regions were $2.2{\pm}1.1/km^2$ and $4.2{\pm}5.6/km^2$, respectively. In addition, reared animal numbers ranged between 6,537 and 24,250 individuals in poultry farms located in HPAI outbreak regions. Following identification of poultry farms in HPAI outbreak regions, an HPAI outbreak prediction model was designed using factors such as the habitat range for migratory birds(HMB), freshwater system characteristics, and local road networks. Using these factors, poultry farms which reared 6,500-25,000 individuals were filtered and compared with number of farms actually affected by HPAI outbreaks in the ROK. The HPAI prediction model shows that 90.0% of the number of poultry farms and 54.8% of the locations of poultry farms overlapped between an actual HPAI outbreak poultry farms reported in 2014 and poultry farms estimated by HPAI outbreak prediction model in the present study. These results clearly show that the HPAI outbreak prediction model is applicable for estimating HPAI outbreak regions in ROK.