• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.853-858
• /
• 1998

A case of repeated bovine abortion caused by Neospora caninum is described. The 3-year-old Holstein cow, which was seropositive to N caninum antibody by indirect immunofluoresent assay, aborted consecutively within a 10-month period. Two fetuses of 6- or 5-month of gestation were aborted in June 1996 and March 1997, respectively. Histologically, multifocal necrotizing encephalitis, nonsuppurative periportal hepatitis, myocarditis, and myositis were observed in both fetuses. Tachyzoites or tissue cysts detected in the brain, heart and liver were positive to N caninum but negative to Toxoplasma gondii by immunohistochemical method. The results of our study demonstrate that repeated abortion due to N caninum actually occurs in Korea. This is believed to the first report of repeated abortion associated with N caninum in Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.113-117
• /
• 2002

We investigated the sero-prevalence of toxocariasis among healthy Korean adults in 1999. A total of 314 sera from normal inhabitants in Whachon-gun, Gangwon do, Korea was examined for specific antibody levels against excretory-secretory products of second stage larvae of Toxocara (TES). The presence of cross-reactions with other helminthiases such as cysticercosis, paragonimiasis, sparganosis or clonorchiasis was also checked by specific IgG ELISA. Sera showing positive reaction against TES were also tested by IgG immunoblot and by IgE ELISA. Out of 314 subjects, 16 was found to be positive by TES IgG ELISA and immunoblot, among whom 12 were also positive by TES IgE ELISA. Among the 16 seropositive samples, two sera showed positive reaction against Paragonimus and sparganum antigen, respectively. These results inferred that cross-reactions were negligible between toxocariasis and other helminthiases. Toxocariasis seroprevalence among Korean rural adults was detected to be approximately 5%.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.43 no.4 s.136
• /
• pp.135-139
• /
• 2005

We have observed the seropositive rate of Taenia solium cysticercosis in residents at Nabo Village, Tiandong County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The village had been found to be a relatively high endemic area of porcine cysticercosis among roaming pigs. Of 202 persons examined four males aged 15, 25, 35 and 41 year-old exhibited absorbance (abs) at 0.18, 0.20, 0.35 and 0.55, respectively. In addition, two females whose ages were 35 and 39 years revealed specific antibody levels of abs 0.26 and 0.41 in their sera. Overall positive rate among the people was $2.97\%$. All of these persons agreed that they had ingested the pork infected with T. solium metacestode (TsM), while history of proglottid discharge was not noticed from all of them. Three males and one female complained of intermittent headache. Our findings reinforced not only that the prevalence of cysticercosis might be related with roaming pigs infected with TsM but also that behavioral and environmental practices in local community constituted risk factors for transmission of the infection.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.51 no.7
• /
• pp.690-695
• /
• 2008

The age-specific anti-hepatitis A virus (HAV) seroprevalence rates in South Korea have changed markedly since the last 2030 years with an improvement in the socio-economic, housing, and environmental-sanitation conditions. These changes are characterized by very low anti-HAV seropositive rates among individuals less than 30 years of age; however, nowadays, most adolescents and young adults at an increased risk of developing symptomatic HAV infections. The Korea Center for Disease Control Sentinel Surveillance System has recently revealed an increase in the incidence of hepatitis A infection since 2001 and has revealed a potential endemic nature of the hepatitis A infection. Hepatitis A vaccines that were introduced in 1997 in Korea have made the current anti-HAV IgG positive rates in children (less than 10 years of age) approximately 50% of the rates observed in Seoul in 2006. However, in the same year, a few children were diagnosed as having anti-HAV IgG antibodies in Busan. This suggests the presence of some difference in the vaccination policy among doctors practicing in Seoul and Busan. Thus, the current recommendation of vaccinating 12-year-old child with HAV vaccination should be emphasized and a new strategy should be developed for the vaccination program to cater to the adolescents and young adults who are not immune, as well as for persons who are at a high risk for hepatitis A viral infection such as military personnel and hospital and day care center employees. Further, urgent hepatitis A vaccinations are also needed in patients with chronic liver diseases.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.377-382
• /
• 1998

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), scrub typhus, murine typhus and leptospirosis have been the principal acute febrile diseases in Korea. To evaluate the seroepidemiologic patterns of acute febrile illness, sera collected from 2,423 patients in 1996 were examined for antibodies against Hantaan virus, Orientia tsutsugamushi, Rickettsia typhi, and Borrelia burgdorferi by indirect immunofluorescent antibody technique (IFA) and macroscopic agglutination test for Leptospira interogans. Seropositive cases against Otsutsugamushi, Rickettsia typhi, Leptospira interogans and Hantaan virus were 192 (7.9%), 193 (8.0%), 12 (0.5%) and 324 (13.4%), respectively. Male was more affected in HFRS and murine typhus contrasting to scrub typhus and leptospirosis in female. Most positive cases occurred during October and November for scrub typhus, and during November and December for HFRS. These results showed similar patterns with previous epidemical data for recent couple of years, and possibly implied no significant changes occurred in ecologic situations for acute febrile diseases in Korea.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.25 no.12
• /
• pp.2169-2172
• /
• 2015

This study investigated the cross-sectional and longitudinal association between adenovirus 36 (Ad36) and obesity in 79 Korean adolescent boys over 1 year. We analyzed the changes in body composition and metabolic risk factors according to the presence of Ad36 antibodies. Ad36 antibodies in serum were detected using the constant virus-decreasing serum method. We found that the fat percentage and fasting insulin in the Ad36-seropositive group were greater than the Ad36-seronegative group. These results suggest that Ad36 infection is associated with an increase of adiposity, and the experience of Ad36 infection may affect the future fat gain of adolescents.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.293-297
• /
• 2014

Swine influenza is an acute respiratory disease prevalent in pig-growing areas worldwide. In total, 518 gilt and sow serum samples and 14 litters (66 samples) of aborted fetuses from 37 farms (average of 14 serum samples per farm) in Gyeongbuk Province were collected between September 2010 and May 2011. All samples were examined for antibodies to swine influenza virus (SIV) H1N1 and H3N2 using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The seropositive rates of gilt and sows were 59.8% (310/518) for SIV H1N1, 78.8% (408/518) for H3N2, and 55.6% (288/518) for both subtypes tested. The rate of aborted fetuses was 13.6% (9/66) for H1N1, 9.1% (6/66) for H3N2, and 9.1% for both subtypes. The seroprevalence for H1N1 in gilts and sows was 46.6% (69/148) and 65.1% (241/370), respectively, and that for H3N2 was 78.4% (116/148) and 78.9% (292/370), respectively.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.293-298
• /
• 2009

Porcine respiratory coronavirus (PRCV) is antigenically related to transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV). Differential serological diagnosis between PRCV and TGEV infection is not possible with the classical sero-neutralization test. Infection with PRCV or TGEV induces antibodies which neutralize both viruses to the same titer. However, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can differentiate between PRCV and TGEV infection. This study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of PRCV infection of swine in Gyeongnam province. A total of 391 serum samples from 37 herds in Gyeongnam were examined for antibody to PRCV using blocking ELISA. All serum samples were collected from 130- to 150-day-old pigs between August and December 2006. By ELISA, 182 out of 391 sera tested (46.5%) and 29 out of 37 sample herds (78.4%) were positive against PRCV. Our data suggested that seropositive herds for PRCV are distributed diffusely throughout Gyeongnam. The PCR methods were established to diagnose PRCV spike protein (S) gene. PCR were conducted to identify the PRCV genome against 150 pigs in PRCV antibody positive herds.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.67-75
• /
• 2007

Bovine leukosis is one of the important diseases in Korea because of economic losses, and this study was conducted to provide basic information for the control of the disease. A total of 2,104 sera were obtained from 491 farms and examined by commercial kit. In the seroprevalence of farms and heads, 71 farms out of 491 were seropositive (14.5%) and 119 heads were positive (5.7%) out of 2,104. In the areal distribution of seropositiveness, Soseong-myeon showed the highest rate (39.5%, 15/38 farms)and Yeongwon-myeon was the lowest (2.6%, 1/38 farms). By age, positive rate in the below of 1 year old cattle was much less than that in the over of 1 year old, namely, the former was 1.9% (3/161 farms) and the latter 20.6% (68/330 farms). According to the farm size, there was no significant difference among the size. However, the highest rate was shown in the farms having 50-99 heads, 23.2% (13/56 farms).

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.61-68
• /
• 2000

Among wild chipmunks, Tamias sibiricus, captured in Kyunggi and Kangwon province in Korea, 1997, seropositivity for Orientia tsutsugamushi was determined. Serological test for Orientia tsutsugamushi infection was performed using indirect immunofluorescent antibody technique (IFA). Of 243 wild chipmunks, 61 against Gilliam strain and 64 against Karp strain of Orientia tsutsugamushi were IFA positive. Seropositivity against Gilliam strain was shown 33.3% in Kyunggi and 23.5% in Kangwon province, and against Karp strain was shown 33.3% and 25.4%, respectively.