• 대한수의학회지
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• 제40권3호
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• pp.563-573
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• 2000

Periodic outbreaks of Newcastle disease (ND) caused by velogenic viscerotropic ND virus (vvNDV) has become a major concern in Korea nowadays. Throughout last epidemic, the winter season in 2000, most chicken flocks infected early, under 2-4 weeks of age, showed high mortality up to 50-100%. Serum samples collected from 201 breeder, 284 layer and 112 broiler chicken flocks were examined to evaluate the efficacy of various vaccination methods and programs routinely used for mass vaccination in the field poultry farms. Despite repeated live vaccination, most poultry flocks vaccinated by drinking water route using nipple water supply system failed to produce solid active immune response to NDV during the growing time. In the present study, we applied the spray vaccination technique using Ulvavac or Desvac sprayer to the experimental poultry flocks and examined the efficacy of live vaccination effects induced by it under field condition. Measurable antibody to NDV as well as early protection against vvNDV challenge were found in poultry flocks vaccinated by spray route. Further, we did not found significant post vaccination reactions caused by spray vaccination if properly administered. These data indicate that the spray vaccination will be safe and reliable mass vaccination method for the prevention of ND.

• 한국어병학회지
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 2015

In 2009 outbreaks of an emerging disease in shrimp farms were first reported in China. The disease was known as early mortality syndrome (EMS), or acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND). Since 2009, the disease has been spread to Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Mexico. The causative agent of the disease was identified as Vibrio parahaemolyticus. It is a common seawater inhabitant bacterium, and the pathogen can sometimes contaminate seafood. The disease has caused mass mortality of cultivated shrimp, and huge economic losses in the countries named above. In order to prevent the introduction and establishment of AHPND, emergency measures, such as strengthening of import conditions and even import bans, were put in place by many other countries. In Korea, on the other hand, there are large quantities of shrimp imports from countries, such as Thailand and Vietnam. Transportation of live and fresh dead shrimp is highly likely, and could be a transmission pathway if the shrimp are sourced from populations in AHPND endemic areas. It is important to recognize that importing countries may provisionally adopt sanitary or phytosanitary measures on the basis of available pertinent information, including that from the relevant international organizations, as well as from sanitary or phytosanitary measures applied by other countries based on "Agreement on Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures". It is pertinent that Korea also takes proper emergent measures to keep out diseases and provide safe seafood.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제43권3호
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• pp.274-278
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• 2010

Objectives: This report describes the results of an investigation on an outbreak of novel influenza A (H1N1) in an English language Institute in Seoul, Korea in May 2009. Methods: In this outbreak, novel influenza A (H1N1) was confirmed in 22 of 91 trainees, trainers and staff members. The trainees and 2 staff members were isolated in an assigned facility and the rest were isolated in their homes after we discovered the first patient with novel influenza A (H1N1). After the isolation, the people in the assigned facility were educated to use N95 respirators and they received oseltamivir for prophylaxis. Results: The initial findings in this study suggest that the symptoms were mild and similar to those of seasonal influenza. The classmates and roommates of the infected patients were more likely to get infected with novel influenza A (H1N1) than the trainees who were not classmates or roommates of the patients (OR: 3.19, 95% Cl=0.91 - 11.11 for classmates and OR: 40.0, 95% Cl=7.4-215.7 for roommates). Conclusions: The public health response seems successful in terms of preventing the spread of this virus into the local community.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• 제22권2호
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• pp.24.1-24.16
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• 2021

Background: Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is caused by Mycobacterium bovis, a well-known cause of zoonotic tuberculosis in cattle and deer, and has been investigated in many physiological and molecular studies. However, detailed genome-level studies of M. bovis have not been performed in Korea. Objectives: To survey whole genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variants in Korean M. bovis field isolates and to define M. bovis groups in Korea by comparing SNP typing with spoligotyping and variable number tandem repeat typing. Methods: A total of 46 M. bovis field isolates, isolated from laryngopharyngeal lymph nodes and lungs of Korean cattle, wild boar, and Korean water deer, were used to identify SNPs by performing whole-genome sequencing. SNP sites were confirmed via polymerase chain reaction using 87 primer pairs. Results: We identified 34 SNP sites with different frequencies across M. bovis isolates, and performed SNP typing and epidemiological analysis, which divided the 46 field isolates into 16 subtypes. Conclusions: Through SNP analysis, detailed differences in samples with identical spoligotypes could be detected. SNP analysis is, therefore, a useful epidemiological tracing tool that could enable better management of bovine TB, thus preventing further outbreaks and reducing the impact of this disease.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.5-14
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• 2010

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a major foodborne pathogen causing severe disease in humans worldwide. Healthy cattle are a reservoir of E. coli O157:H7, and bovine food products and fresh produce contaminated with bovine waste are the most common sources for disease outbreaks in the United States. E. coli O157:H7 also survives well in the environment. The abilities to cause human disease, colonize the bovine gastrointestinal tract, and survive in the environment require that E. coli O157:H7 adapt to a wide variety of conditions. Three major virulence factors of E. coli O157:H7 have been identified including Shiga toxins, products of the pathogenicity island called the locus of enterocyte effacement, and products of the F-like plasmid pO157. Among these virulence factors, the role of pO157 is least understood. This review provides a board overview of E. coli O157:H7 with an emphasis on pO157.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.59-63
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• 2015

About 4,500 mass burial sites of carcasses from the 2010/2011 outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth (FMD) disease in Korea show very slow stabilization speed, although more than 3 years have passed. Therefore, a plan is being considered to boost the speed of stabilization or removal. This is a study on the social value of the removal plan for 4,500 mass burial sites from the 2010/2011 outbreak of FMD in Korea. This valuation is based on the survey of 1,000 people living all over Korea. Korean people have a willingness to pay 101.2 billion Korean Won (about US $100 million). This value is a large amount, but it is small compared to the cost of a FMD outbreak. The cost for the Korean government from 5 outbreaks since 2000 ranged from 28.8 billion Won to 3.2 trillion Won. These were the costs only paid by the Korean government. One estimate reported that there would be a total damage of 1.4 trillion Won, if FMD outbreak occurs in Jeju Islands, a small part of Korea. If burial sites have very slow stabilization speed and some hazardous contents, the social damage will exceed the removal cost.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제38권2호
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• pp.117-124
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• 2005

Before twentieth centuries and during early twentieth centuries, communicable diseases were the major cause of morbidity and mortality in Korea. But reliable data are not available. After 1975, the overall morbidity and mortality from communicable diseases, rapidly declined. Recently many new pathogenic microbes were recognized: L. monocytogenes, Hantaan virus, Y. pseudotuberculosis, P. multocida, L. pneumophilia, Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), G. seoi, H. capsulatum, C. burnetii, V. cholerae O139, C. parvum, F. tularensis, E. coli O157:H7, B. burgdorferi, S. Typhimurium DT104, Rotavirus, hepatitis C virus and so on. Since the first HIV infection recognized in 1985, the reported cases of infection and deaths from HIV/AIDS have been steady increased each year. Legionnaire's disease, E. coli O157:H7 colitis, listeriosis and crytosporidiasis have been occurring just sporadically among immunocompromized cases. Many re-emerging communicable diseases were occurred in Korea: leptospirosis, malaria, endemic typhus, cholera, tsutsugamushi disease, salmonellosis, hepatitis A, shigellosis, mumps, measles, acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis, brucellosis and so on. Leptospirosis and tsutsugamushi diseases have been noticed as major public health problems since 1980s. The malaria that had been virtually disappeared for a decade has reappeared from 1993 with striking increase of patients in recent 3-4 years. The distributions of salmonella and shigella serotypes have been changed a lot in recent few decades. Furthermore rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains induces more difficult and complex problems in control of communicable diseases. We must recognize on the importance of environment and ecosystem conservation and careful prescription of anti-microbial agent in order to prevent communicable diseases.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제53권5호
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• pp.302-306
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• 2020

Objectives: In this paper, we aimed to investigate the evolving debate over border closure in Korea during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, to address the main themes associated with border closure, and to discuss the factors that need to be considered when making such decisions. Methods: We collated and reviewed previously conducted review studies on border closures during infectious disease outbreaks to derive relevant themes and factors. Results: According to our systematic review on border closures and travel restrictions, the effects of such containment efforts are limited. We suggest considering the following factors when determining whether to impose border closure measures: (1) disease characteristics, (2) timeliness of implementation, (3) transmission delay and the basic reproduction number, (4) globalization and pandemics, and (5) social and economic costs. Conclusions: Our assessment indicates that the effects of border closures are at best temporary and limited. Alternative measures must be contemplated and implemented to suppress the spread of COVID-19 in particular and infectious diseases more broadly.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• 제15권4호
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• pp.578-581
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• 2006

Fishery products were collected in seafood markets located on the southwestern coast of Korea between 2000 and 2004 and examined for the presence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. This strain was detected in 138 of 843 samples (16.4%) that included dams, eels, crabs, octopuses, and cockles. The number of positive findings for V. parahaemolyticus among fishery products was the highest in dams at 23.6% followed by eels at 22.1%, crabs at 21.1%, octopuses at 18.0%, and cockles at 14.3%. V. parahaemolyticus was detected with overall frequencies of 15.3, 14.8, 13.8, 21.6, and 18.6% from 2000 to 2004, respectively. The monthly occurrence of the organism rapidly increased to over 20% between June and October. The monthly cases of food borne disease caused by V. parahaemolyticus in Korea over the last five years began to increase in August and reached its peak in September. However, the potential for outbreaks of food borne disease caused by V. parahaemolyticus was relatively minor between November and April. Consequently, this study shows that fishery products harvested from June to October must be handled sanitarily in Korea.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.107-114
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• 2023

Epidemiological control of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is needed to estimate the infection period of confirmed cases and identify potential cases. The present study, targeting confirmed cases for which the time of COVID-19 symptom onset was disclosed, aimed to investigate the relationship between intervals (day) from symptom onset to testing the cycle threshold (CT) values of real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Of the COVID-19 confirmed cases, those for which the date of suspected symptom onset in the epidemiological investigation was specifically disclosed were included in this study. Interval was defined as the number of days from symptom onset (as disclosed by the patient) to specimen collection for testing. A locally weighted regression smoothing (LOWESS) curve was applied, with intervals as explanatory variables and CT values (CTR for RdRp gene and CTE for E gene) as outcome variables. After finding its non-linear relationship, a polynomial regression model was applied to estimate the 95% confidence interval values of CTR and CTE by interval. The application of LOWESS in 331 patients identified a U-shaped curve relationship between the CTR and CTE values according to the number of interval days, and both CTR and CTE satisfied the quadratic model for interval days. Active application of these results to epidemiological investigations would minimize the chance of failing to identify individuals who are in contact with COVID-19 confirmed cases, thereby reducing the potential transmission of the virus to local communities.