• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.67-73
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• 2008

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is the most economically important viral infectious disease in pig populations worldwide. This study was conducted to better understand the epidemic and dynamics of PRRS virus (PRRSV) on each farm and to evaluate the risk of PRRSV infection in Korea. Interviews with pig farmers were carried out to obtain PRRS vaccination programmes in 60 pig farms throughout Korea. Blood samples were also collected from the 59 pig farms to investigate outbreak patterns of each farm. Vaccination against PRRS was performed in 16.7% farms for breeding pigs and 8.3% of farms for nursery pigs. According to the seroepidemiological analysis, 56 (94.9%) out of 59 farms were considered to be affected by PRRSV infection. The results revealed that 68.9% of sows tested were seroconverted and interestingly, gilt herds had the highest seropositive rate (73%), suggesting that gilts may play a key role in PRRSV transmission in sow herds. Among the PRRS-affected piglet herds, 33 (55.9%), 14 (23.7%) and 6 (10.2%) farms were initially infected with PRRSV during the weaning, suckling and nursery period, respectively. It seems likely, therefore, that PRRSV infection predominantly occurs around the weaning period in piglet herds. Based on antibody seroprevalence levels in both sow and piglet groups, we were able to classify patterns of PRRSV infection per farm unit into 4 categories; category 1 (stable sow groups and non-infected piglet groups), category 2 (unstable sow groups and non-infected piglet groups), category 3 (stable sow groups and infected piglet groups), and category 4 (unstable sow groups and infected piglet groups). Our data suggested that 43 (72.9%) farms were analysed to belong to category 4, which is considered to be at high-risk for PRRS outbreak. Taken together, our information from this study will provide insight into the establishment of an effective control strategy for PRRS on the field.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.37-48
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• 1992

Antibiotics are chemical substances produced by various species of microorganisms that suppress the growth of other microorganisms or may destroy them. Among the more than 4000 antibiotics that has been identified, about 20s are using as the therapy of infectious fish diseases. There are several methods used to classify and group antibiotics, and the most common classification has been based on chemical structure and proposed mechanism of action. The effect of antibiotics may be determined by the kind of fish pathogens and by the external environment surrounded the infected fish. It implies that the kind of antibiotics and its application method should be decided after the determination of the reasons of fish disease. The uncontrolled usages of antibiotics may induce the selection of resistant mutants appeared spontaneously and present in any group of bacteria. The epidemic spread of such antibiotic resistant strains of fish pathogenic bacteria already has been reported in various districts of japan. Importantly, transferable drug resistant(R) plasmids were detected in strains of most of fish pathogens. Based on those reports, the antimicrobial resistance appears to be a rapidly emerging problem in the fish industry on the country. The expanding literatures on the pharmacokinetics, clinical trials, withdrawal periods and efficacy of environmental effect for the commonly using antibiotics have met the needs of data for the practical application of antibiotics. However, the most important thing for the treatment of fish diseases would be the communication and exchanging of information between the site of aquaculture and the diagnostic laboratory.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.85-93
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• 2020

Despite the development of modern medical sciences, the outbreak and spread of infections continue to threaten populations, and the spread of infections among populations is caused by social contacts. There have only been a few studies on social contacts in the Republic of Korea (hereafter Korea). This study identified the types of social contacts in other countries through a systemic literature review and this helped provide basic data for Korea. Twelve studies were finally selected and then published from 2000 to December 2017. The most common study method was a retrospective contact diary (7cases, 58.3%), and random sampling (9cases, 75%). The number of contacts was 4.9-17.7/day, there were more frequent contacts during the weekdays than on weekends, and the most contacted people were those people that met daily. Physical contact was frequent at home. The highest frequency of contacts was between people 5-19 years old. In case of an epidemic, the spread of infection by this age group could be a concern. Assortative mixing was high in the 5-20 years old group, suggesting that this age group may be more likely to spread infection by contact within the same age group. Therefore, a national-wide survey on social contacts will be needed to predict the spread of infections, and to develop infection prevention based on a domestic basis in Korea.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.334-344
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• 2018

This study was conducted to identify the relationship between knowledge, attitude, and compliance regarding infection preventive behaviors among long-term care hospital staff during a Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) epidemic. The subjects were 211 staff members of a long-term care hospital in J province evaluated using a structured survey. Data were collected between June 15 and July 15, 2015 and analyzed using SPSS/WIN 24.0 based on an independent t-test, ANOVA, and Welch test, while post-hoc tests were conducted using the Scheffe test and the Grames-Hawell test. The MERS knowledge score of the staff at the long-term care hospital was high for nurses and nurse aids, who had experienced infection management when they received influenza vaccine in the previous year and were provided with easy access to hand sanitizers. Attitude towards MERS was more positive for nurses than nurse aids and caregivers. The degree of execution of infection preventive behaviors in terms of daily activity was high when influenza shots were received in the prior year; in terms of caring for patients, it was high when influenza shots were received in the previous year and they had easy access to hand sanitizers. The relationship between knowledge, attitude, and infection preventive behavior regarding MERS was such that high knowledge and positive attitude led to a higher degree of execution of infection preventive behavior. Therefore, during periods of high prevalence of newly infectious diseases such as MERS, it is important for the long-term care hospitals to conduct infection management education including the characteristics of the MERS disease, its transmission, and its prevention to enhance knowledge regarding MERS and induce positive change in attitude to improve the level of infection preventive behaviors.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.57-62
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• 2019

Objective : Gastritis is a major complication of gastrointestinal disease. Lonicera japonica is used in folk medicine to treat different diseases such as exopathogenic wind-heat, epidemic febrile diseases, sores, carbuncles and some infectious diseases. Therefore, this study examined the effects of Lonicera japonica water extract (LJE) on HCl/ethano-linduced acute gastric ulceration and anti-oxidants properties. Methods : LC-ESI-IT-TOF MS was employed for rapid identification of major compound from LJE. The antioxidant activities were evaluated through total polyphenol and flavonoid contents and radical scavenging assays and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity. SD rats were randomly divided into five different groups including the normal group, ulcer group, positive group (20 kg/mg of omeprazole, ip), and experimental groups (100 kg/mg and 500 kg/mg of LJE, ip). Results : 4,5-Dicaffeoyl quinic acid, loganic acid, secologanic acid, sweroside, loganin, vogeloside were identified based on the detection of the molecular ion with those of literature data. The LJE was possessed free radical scavenging activities such as DPPH (IC₅₀=189.7 ㎍/㎖), ABTS (IC₅₀=164.5 ㎍/㎖), and SOD-like activity (IC₅₀=405.02 ㎍/㎖). Macroscopic and histological analyses showed LJE treated group were significantly reduced to an extent that it allowed leukocytes penetration of the gastric walls compared with the ulcer group. In addition, an ulcer inhibition rate and prostaglandin E₂ levels were increased in rats treated with LJE. Conclusion : The present study has demonstrated the antioxidantive and gastroprotective effect of LJE, these findings suggested that LJE has the potential for use in treatment of gastric disorders.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.97-105
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• 1997

Purpose : Aseptic meningitis mainly caused by enterovirus is common in pediatric population especially during summer & fall. Most of pediatric patients restore their health without any complications with proper management. Between May to August of 1996, Masan and surrounding areas of the Kyoungsangnamdo were epidemic areas for the aseptic meningitis. The purpose of this study was to determine causative virus and describe correlation between disease and clinical symptoms in aseptic meningitis patients and those with fever and characteristic rashes without apparent meningitis symptoms. Methods : Between May to August, 1996, 57 patients with high fever and characteristic feature of rashes were reviewed. From 22 cerebrospinal fluid & 57 stool obtained specimens, viral culture and detection of enterovirus RNA were conducted. Collected specimens were kept in $-30^{\circ}C$ environment until sending of specimens to labortory. The virus identified through indirect immunofluorescence. RT-PCR method was used to identify enterovirus RNA in cerebralspinal fluid. Results : 1) One hundred fifty five pediatric patients with viral infection required hospitalization. Disease occurred higher rate in male than female with ratio of 1.94:1. Examined patients' age ranged from 15days old to 15years old. But most of patients(74.8%) were under age of 5years old. The time of occurrence was between May to August of 1996. 2) All patients had high fever and physical symptoms in those patients include headache, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and rashes. The rashes observed mainly in patients under age of 4 years and were predominantly commom patients under age of 18 months olds)<0.001). 3) Between sampled patients and non-sampled patients, clinical course was similar. Echovirus type 9 was cultivated in 41 out of 57 cases of collected stool specimens. RT-PCR that used on CSF showed positive results in 10 out of 22 cases. Three cases of positive cultivated of positive results in RT-PCR were echovirus type 9. Conclusions : Echovirus type 9 was thought to be the causative agent of aseptic meningitis that was prevalent throughout mid areas of Kyoungsangnamdo from May to August, 1996. Additionally causative agent that responsible for high fever with rashes without meningitis symptoms also thought to be the same echovirus type 9.