• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.685-688
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• 2006

The aim of this study was to characterize the molecular features of serogroup C Neisseria meningitidis strains circulating in Beijing, China. Twenty out of 23 strains belonged to ST 4821. The causative serosubtype for meningococcal meningitis was P1.12-1,16-8. All of the strains expressed class 3 PorB protein. Among the five pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns observed, pattern III predominated.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.277-282
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• 2012

Field epidemiology involves the implementation of quick and targeted public health interventions with the aid of epidemiological methods. In this article, we share our practical experiences in outbreak management and in safeguarding the population against novel diseases. Given that cities represent the financial nexuses of the global economy, global health security necessitates the safeguard of cities against epidemic diseases. Singapore's public health landscape has undergone a systemic and irreversible shift with global connectivity, rapid urbanization, ecological change, increased affluence, as well as shifting demographic patterns over the past two decades. Concomitantly, the threat of epidemics, ranging from severe acute respiratory syndrome and influenza A (H1N1) to the resurgence of vector-borne diseases as well as the rise of modern lifestyle-related outbreaks, have worsened difficulties in safeguarding public health amidst much elusiveness and unpredictability. One critical factor that has helped the country overcome these innate and man-made public health vulnerabilities is the development of a resilient field epidemiology service, which includes our enhancement of surveillance and response capacities for outbreak management, and investment in public health leadership. We offer herein the Singapore story as a case study in meeting the challenges of disease control in our modern built environment.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.291-294
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• 2019

Primary amebic encephalitis (PAM) is a devastating central nervous system infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, a free-living amoeba, which can survive in soil and warm fresh water. Here, a 43-year-old healthy male was exposed to warm freshwater 5 days before the symptom onset. He rapidly developed severe cerebral edema before the diagnosis of PAM and was treated with intravenous conventional amphotericin B while died of terminal cerebral hernia finally. Comparing the patients with PAM who has similar clinical symptoms to those with other common types of meningoencephalitis, this infection is probably curable if treated early and aggressively. PAM should be considered in the differential diagnosis of purulent meningoencephalitis, especially in patients with recent freshwater-related activities during the hot season.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.7-16
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• 2020

Purpose: As communicable disease, COVID-19, pandemic strikes over the world, it is critically bewared that air travel possibly be a major pass way to deliver the infectious disease virus. Especially the airplane could be an unique environment to cultivate the virus spreaders. In order to keep the continuous safe airway as well as the industry, related international associations and organizations have been published the guidelines for the prevention and control the infectious disease through the all aspects of aviation. By reviewing the guidelines, focusing on the in-flight infection prevention and control, this study would not only inform a summary of the international guidelines but also provide an essential and general consideration for related research or guideline study. Methods: Guidelines of 5 major countries are reviewed, which has been seriously influenced by COVID-19 : U.S., Canada, E.U., Australia and China. The items of the guidelines are re-categorized as its similarity and structure by applicable cases. Results: The result of this study shows that each guideline seems to share a major structure and issue such as identifying sick traveler, sick passenger care, and cleaning even though that of China has a different since it used to consider the flight conditions based on 3 levels of infection risk. For sick passenger care, the guidelines includes crew safety, service level, sick passenger isolation, and cleaning. Implications: A published guideline as a public manual could be to prevent and control the in-flight infection efficiently and promptly. It also could provide a confidence of knowledge and educate for all users to prepare the in-flight emergency as well.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.76-91
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• 2002

This study aimed to assess the educational need for management of communicable disease prior to developing curriculum for Field Epidemiology Specialist Training Program on Infectious Disease. We sent questionnaires(72 items) to two personnels who were related to communicable disease in each public health center through e-mai and 300 were returned(62.0% of response rate). The subject for education which showed the highest educational need was management(2.31 point), followed by immunization(2.30 point), and the lowest was surveillance(2.10 point). Generally, the educational need was higher in the aspect of attitude or practice than in that of knowledge. The subject which showed the differences in educational need by job titles were immunization(p<0.01), outbreak investigation(p<0.01), and case management and sanitation(p<0.01). There was negative correlation between communicable disease management-working duration and educational need. Considering this result, the curriculum should be focused on strengthening the ability for problem-solving especially in management and immunization.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.313-322
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• 2000

Objectives : To estimate mumps incidence during the study period and to evaluate the completeness of case reporting. Methods : Capture-recapture methods, originally developed for counting wildlife animals, were used. The data sources were 1) the National Notifiable Communicable Disease Reporting System (NNCDRS; 848 cases), 2) the School Health Reporting System, temporarily administered by the Division of Education (SHRS; 1,026 cases), and 3) a survey of students (785 cases). We estimated the number of unobserved mumps cases by matching the three data sources and fitting loglinear models to the data. We then determined the estimated total number of mumps cases by adding this to the number of observed cases. Completeness was defined as the proportion of observed cases from each source to the total of estimated cases. Results : The total number of observed cases was 1,844 and the total number of estimated cases was 1,935 (95%, CI: $1,878\sim2,070$). The overall completeness was 43.8% of the NNCDRS, 53.0% of the SHRS, and 40.6% of the survey. However, completeness varied by area and age. Conclusion : Although the completeness of NNCDRS data appeared higher than in the past, it is difficult to generalize this result In Korea, it is possible to estimate the size of health hazards relatively cheaply and quickly, by applying capture-recapture methods to various data using a multiple data collection system.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.431-432
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• 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been going on for nearly a year. As of December 1, 2020, more than 60 million confirmed cases and 1.4 million deaths have occurred in 220 countries and territories. There is no effective treatment for COVID-19 so far, and vaccines are being developed. However, the vaccine of COVID-19 can be freed from COVID-19 only if there are positive answers to some questions: "Aren't there any major side effects from the vaccine?"; "Is the vaccine effective for enough time?"; "Does the vaccine sufficiently reduce the mortality rate?"; and "Does the vaccine sufficiently reduce the reproduction number?" The fight against COVID-19 will continue for a long time. Therefore, we need to respond by developing the evidence for control of COVID-19, the emerging infectious disease. Extensive quarantine measures in the early stages of COVID-19 need to be elaborated through developing the evidence. Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency should establish a database for evidence developing COVID-19 control. In this database, based on more than 3 million tested individuals, epidemiological investigation results, health insurance claims data, and government data such as the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, etc. should be linked. It is necessary to disclose this database to academia, etc. to create the evidences of COVID-19 and manage COVID-19 through these. And through the developed evidences, guidelines for physical health and mental health in the era of Corona 19 should be developed.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.269-273
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• 2009

A 57-year old man who was admitted to an emergency room of a tertiary hospital with hemoptysis developed malarial fever 19 days later and then died from severe falciparum malaria 2 days later. He had not traveled outside of Korea for over 30 years. Through intensive interviews and epidemiological surveys, we found that a foreign patient with a recent history of travel to Africa was transferred to the same hospital with severe falciparum malaria. We confirmed through molecular genotyping of the MSP-1 gene that Plasmodium falciparum genotypes of the 2 patients were identical. It is suggested that a breach of standard infection control precautions resulted in this P. falciparum transmission between 2 patients in a hospital environment. This is the first report of a nosocomial transmission of falciparum malaria in Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Professional Engineers Association
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.34-38
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• 2011

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagions disease of cloven-hoofed animals and occurs in many non-European countries, in particular in huge parts of Asia including Turkey, in most countries of Africa and in parts of South America. The extreme contagiousness of the disease requires comprehensive to control an outbreak, causing high economic losses. The outbreak of FMD, which affects livestock including cattle, swine,sheep,goats,deer and other animals as a highly communicable disease that affects. The agency issued a statement noting that FMD disease does not spread to humans. The disease and meat from infected animals are news reports that more than 3.400.000 livestock have been ordered slaughtered so far across the country.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.41-49
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• 1994

Water- borne infectious diseases can be acquired by contact with contaminated water or by ingestion of contaminated water. There are many water- borne infectious agents such as bacteria, virus, and parasite. Among many of water- borne infectious diseases, health authorities of Korean government has particularly intensified to prevent and control typhoid fever(class I ), shigellosis(class I ), cholera(class I ), paratyphoid fever(class I), amebiasis(class II ) and leptospirosis(euivalent to class II ) under the communicable disease control law. Water- borne disease Prevention and control guideline itself has been also well provided by the health authorities. However, in practical public health point of view, there are still many problems remained to be solved out; no prospective investigation project to survey water borne infectious diseases under the national disease prevention and control programmes, incredible statistic data of annual notifiable disease report frequent appearance and varieties of drug resistance water- borne infectious agents, little cooperation and information- exchange system in between the related government authorities( the health authorities, the environment sanitation authorities and the food hygiene authorities) which should be closely collaborated, lack of health consciousness of the people, necessity of evaluation and Hndification on to the outcomes of performed health activities and programmes, neglect activities for water quality investigation, shortage of expertise and human resources in the related field, and poor investment of the government budget to develope and improve public health and sanitation field. In order to prevent and control water- borne infectious diseases effectively, it is emphasized that all the above indicated should be considered and performed to improve under the national health and sanitation development programmes.