• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.197-206
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• 2006

In March 2003, classical swine fever (CSF) infection was reported in a piggery located at Iksan city, Jeollabuk-do in Korea. Subsequently, a total of 72 infected farms were confirmed between March and December, 2003. Based on epidemiological investigation of the earlier confirmed infected farms, the source of infection was shown to be from a breeding farm. Targeted surveillance of 82 piggeries that had acquired pigs from this breeding farm showed 44 piggeries were infected with CSF virus. CSF virus was introduced into this breeding farm by movement of selected breeder pigs from its 12 contracted farms which were located in areas that had been affected by CSF epidemic in late 2002. CSF had then spread through out the country mainly by direct transmission through the sale and movement of pigs from this breeding farm. Consequently, 47 (62%) among 72 CSF affected farms were associated, directly and indirectly, with this breeding farm. This study showed that inadequate control for breeding farms and transport restriction in CSF outbreak areas resulted in the nationwide spread of CSF and the failure of the eradication campaign that has been underway for several years by the Korean animal hygiene authority as well as the fanners. Improvements of control policy through further research of the 2003 CSF epidemic will be needed to reestablish the Korean CSF eradication program in the future.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.185-189
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• 2011

Objectives: In 1995, an outbreak survey in Gozan-dong concluded that an association between fiberglass exposure in drinking water and cancer outbreak cannot be established. This study follows the subjects from a study in 1995 using a data linkage method to examine whether an association existed. The authors will address the potential benefits and methodological issues following outbreak surveys using data linkage, particularly when informed consent is absent. Methods: This is a follow-up study of 697 (30 exposed) individuals out of the original 888 (31 exposed) participants (78.5%) from 1995 to 2007 assessing the cancer outcomes and deaths of these individuals. The National Cancer Registry (KNCR) and death certificate data were linked using the ID numbers of the participants. The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) and standardized mortality ratio (SMR) from cancers were calculated by the KNCR. Results: The SIR values for all cancer or gastrointestinal cancer (GI) occurrences were the lowest in the exposed group (SIR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.10 to 5.21; 0.00 for GI), while the two control groups (control 1: external, control 2: internal) showed slight increases in their SIR values (SIR, 1.18 and 1.27 for all cancers; 1.62 and 1.46 for GI). All lacked statistical significance. All-cause mortality levels for the three groups showed the same pattern (SMR 0.37, 1.29, and 1.11). Conclusions: This study did not refute a finding of non-association with a 13-year follow-up. Considering that many outbreak surveys are associated with a small sample size and a cross-sectional design, follow-up studies that utilize data linkage should become standard procedure.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.36.1-36.9
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• 2020

Background: Pseudorabies, also known as Aujeszky's disease, is caused by the pseudorabies virus (PRV) and has been recognized as a critical disease affecting the pig industry and a wide range of animals around the world, resulting in great economic losses each year. Shandong province, one of the most vital food animal-breeding regions in China, has a very dense pig population, within which pseudorabies infections were detected in recent years. The data, however, on PRV epidemiology and coinfection rates of PRV with other major swine diseases is sparse. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the PRV epidemiology in Shandong and analyze the current control measures. Methods: In this study, a total number of 16,457 serum samples and 1,638 tissue samples, which were collected from 362 intensive pig farms (≥ 300 sows/farm) covered all cities in Shandong, were tested by performing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: Overall, 52.7% and 91.5% of the serum samples were positive for PRV-gE and -gB, respectively, based on ELISA results. In addition, 15.7% of the tissue samples were PCR positive for PRV. The coinfection rates of PRV with porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, and classical swine fever virus were measured; coinfection with PCV2 was 35.0%, higher than those of the other two viruses. Macroscopic and microscopic lesions were observed in various tissues during histopathological examination. Conclusions: The results demonstrate the PRV prevalence and its coinfection rates in Shandong province and indicate that pseudorabies is endemic in pig farms in this region. This study provides epidemiological data that can be useful in the prevention and control of pseudorabies in Shandong, China.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.159-165
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• 2010

Objectives: We evaluated the reliability of the possible covariates of the baseline survey data collected for the Epidemiological Investigation on Cancer Risk Among Residents Who Reside Near the Nuclear Power Plants in Korea. Methods: Follow-up surveys were conducted for 477 participants of the cohort at less than 1 year after the initial survey. The mean interval between the initial and follow-up surveys was 282.5 days. Possible covariates were identified by analyzing the correlations with the exposure variable and associations with the outcome variables for all the variables. Logistic regression analysis with stepwise selection was further conducted among the possible covariates to select variables that have covariance with other variables. We considered that these variables can be representing other variables. Seven variables for the males and 3 variables for the females, which had covariance with other possible covariates, were selected as representative variables. The Kappa index of each variable was calculated. Results: For the males, the Kappa indexes were as follow; family history of cancer was 0.64, family history of liver diseases in parents and siblings was 0.56, family history of hypertension in parents and siblings was 0.51, family history of liver diseases was 0.50, family history of hypertension was 0.44, a history of chronic liver diseases was 0.53 and history of pulmonary tuberculosis was 0.36. For females, the Kappa indexes were as follow; family history of cancer was 0.58, family history of hypertension in parents and siblings was 0.56 and family history of hypertension was 0.47. Conclusions: Most of the possible covariates showed good to moderate agreement.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.41
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• pp.53.1-53.6
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• 2019

Background: The nasal bone is the most protruding bony structure of the facial bones. Nasal bone fracture is the most common facial bone fracture. The high rate of incidence of nasal bone fracture emphasizes the need for systematical investigation of epidemiology, surgical techniques, and complications after surgery. The objective of this study is to investigate the current trends in the treatment of nasal bone fractures and the effectiveness of closed reduction depending on the severity of the nasal bone fracture. Patients and methods: A total of 179 patients with a nasal bone fracture from 2009 to 2017 were enrolled. Their clinical examination, patient's records, and radiographic images of nasal bone fractures were evaluated. Results: Patients ranged from children to elderly. There were 156 (87.2%) males and 23 (12.8%) females. Traffic accident (36.9%) was the most common cause of nasal fracture. Orbit fracture (44 patients, 24.6%) was the most common fracture associated with a nasal bone fracture. Complications after surgery included postoperative deformity in 20 (11.2%) patients, nasal obstruction in 11 (6.1%) patients, and olfactory disturbances in 2 (1.1%) patients and patients with more severe nasal bone fractures had higher rates of these complications. Conclusion: Closed reduction could be performed successfully within 2 weeks after injury.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.16
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• pp.6889-6894
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• 2015

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common cancer in the world, with a wide variation in incidence rates across different geographical areas. In Iran GC is the most common cancer in males and it is reported to be the third most prevalent after breast and colorectal in females. A geographical information system (GIS) allows investigation of the geographical distribution of diseases. The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship between gastric cancer and effective climatic factors using GIS. The dispersion distribution and the relationship between environmental factors effective on cancer were measured using Arc GIS. Of all cases, 672 (73.8%) were in males with a sex ratio of 3 to1. The highest incidence by cities was seen in Namin with 137.5 per 100,000. The results of this study showed that the distribution of GC around the Sabalan volcanic mountain was significantly higher than other places in the same province. These results can be considered as a window to future comprehensive research on gastric cancer.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.31
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• pp.25.1-25.9
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• 2016

Objectives After the initial investigations by the Korea Centers for Disease Control in 2011, over 1000 suspicious cases of humidifier disinfectant (HD) victims were subsequently reported by 2015, and numbers are still increasing dramatically in 2016 in the midst of the prosecutors' office investigation. This study attempts to summarize the current understandings of the related health effects of HD based upon a systemic review of published epidemiologic studies and toxicology investigations. Methods Published studies of HDs were searched through PubMed and TOXLINE under the search words 'humidifier disinfectant,' and related reports were identified from the references and published report list of regulatory agencies including the Korean National Institute of Environmental Research, US Environmental Protection Agency, and EU European Chemicals Agency. Results Case reports and epidemiologic studies have reported the clinical features of severe forms of HD lung damage, together with epidemiologic findings of seasonal occurrence and demographic variations, including the heightened susceptibility of young children. Toxicological studies have reported inhalation toxicities together with positive findings of in vitro genotoxicity studies. Conclusions This study examined unsolved issues based on cases of upper respiratory diseases and diseases of other organs, including cancers, among suspected victims of HDs. These issues should be clarified in future research for the management and prevention of health effects from HDs and chemicals of other related household products.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.111-114
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• 1972

There was an outbreak of food poisoning on the 17 October, 1970 among the primary school children who came from a rural area, Yeongi-gun, Choongcheongnam-do to Seoul City on an educational trip. Of the 199 children participating in the trip, 149 cases of food poisoning developed a 74.9% attack rate. The acute onset of symptoms, of abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting and headache which occurred 1-5 hours after eating their lunch suggests that the outbreak was due to staphylococcal food poisoning. The common source of food was identified as the lunch packed in a chip-box which were eaten on October 17 during the trip. Most probable kind of food of the lunch as the cause was the favoured fish paste. The lunch were prepared at restaurant A in Seoul City. One of the personnel of the restaurant had a unhealed cut wound on the third finger tip of the left hand, from which it was considered that the food was contaminated with Staphylococcus during preparation. The chance of multiplication of Staphylococcus to produce enterotoxin in the food might be existed during flavouring the food with some degree of heat, and also during about 10 hours elapsed before serving the food after preparation.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.521-525
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• 1990

The present investigation confirms the zoonotic significance of Microspoum canis infection in five patients who had direct contact with diseased dogs and cats. Typical ringworm type lesions were mainly encountered on the exposed areas of the body. M. canis was isolated from the cutaneous lesions of man ana infected pets ; and also directly demonstrated in skin materials. However, the fungus could neither be recovered from the non-contact group nor from the saprobic environment. The isolates from man, dog, and cat showed similar gross as well as microscopic morphology. Further genetic studies so indicated that all the human and animal isolates of M. canis were(-) mating type. It is believed that transmission of zoophilic dermatophytes from animal to man occurs more commonly with direct exposure. In addition, the epidemiology and preventive measures are also discussed.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.213-220
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• 1999

In order to investigate the prevalence of Salmonella spp. from 1992 to 1997 in Inchon, 173 strains of Salmonella spp. were isolated from patients with diarrhea and analyzed them epidemiologically. The results obtained were as follows; 1. The yearly isolation rates were 34.68% (60 strains) in 1996, 20.80%(36 strains) in 1994, 18.50%(32strains) in 1997, 10.40%(18 strains) in 1992 and 9.83%(17 strains) in 1995 and 5.78%(10 strains) in 1993, in order. 2. The isolation rates based on specimen were 84.97%(147 strains) from feces, 14.45%(25 strains) from blood and 0.58%(1 strain) from pus. 3. The highest isolation rate based on age group was at twenties(25.43%) and four-ties(19.65%), fifties(19.08%), teens(15.03%) and thirties(10.98%), in order. 4. Based on the regional distribution, Nam-gu showed the highest isolation rate (20.80%) and followed by Namdong-gu(20.23%), Dong-gu(19.65%) and Yeansu-gu(0.58%), in order 5. Seasonally, the highest isolation rate was from May to September during the investigation. 6. The isolation rate in male(58.96%) was higher than that in female(41.04%).