• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.59 no.4
• /
• pp.415-419
• /
• 2021

The circumsporozoite protein (CSP) of Plasmodium spp. is a diagnostic antigen and useful biomarker for monitoring short-term/seasonal changes to malaria transmission. Using P. vivax CSP antibody ELISA, epidemiological characteristics were analyzed in the residents of Ganghwa, Cheorwon, Paju, and Goseong from 2017 to 2018. In Ganghwa and Cheorwon, 1.6% and 1.2% of residents, respectively, were PvCSP-antibody-positive in 2018, which indicates a decrease of 0.4% in the positive rate compared to 2017. The annual parasite incidence (API) in Ganghwa and Cheorwon was 24.9 and 10.5 in 2017 and 20.3 and 10.7 in 2018, respectively. Although the changes were not significant, the API in Ganghwa decreased slightly by 4.5 in 2018 compared to the previous year. In Paju and Goseong, 3.9% and 2.0% of residents were positive for the PvCSP antibody. The API in Paju was 13.1 in 2017 and 16.0 in 2018, although no malaria patients were reported for the 2 years. Therefore, the results suggest that PvCSP is a useful antigen for confirming initial malaria infection. Additionally, considering that the antibody is relatively transient, it can be employed for sero-epidemiological studies to determine the extent of malaria transmission in the current year.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.339-346
• /
• 2021

Purpose: To determine the extent of environmental contamination and the effect of disinfection around patients with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) using adenosine triphosphate (ATP) measurements and microbial culture tests. Methods: The subjects of this study were 10 patients hospitalized in a single room due to CRE from April 13 to 21, 2021. One hundred and sixty samples were collected using cotton swabs from the patients' environment including the surface and drain of sinks and toilet seats before and after disinfection of the room after discharge. Twenty-one samples were collected from the nurses' personal digital assistants (PDAs), keyboards, and computer mice before disinfection. The relative light units (RLUs) and CRE colony-forming units (CFU) of 181 samples were measured using ATP test equipment and chrome agar plates, respectively. Results: The highest RLUs were measured at the sink drains before and after disinfection. Four CRE samples from the sink drains (2), sink surface (1), and toilet bowl (1) before disinfection were cultured. Based on the failure criteria (≥ 250 RLU/cm² and ≥ 1 CFU/100 cm²), 90 % and 50 % of the samples from the drain exceeded the failure criteria before and after disinfection, respectively. In the culture tests, CRE was not detected after disinfection. Conclusion: According to the RLU and CFU measurements of drain samples, disinfection was not effective. Thus, improvements in the disinfection methods of drains, as well as more efficient and systematic environmental decontamination and disinfection evaluation tools, are needed to accurately evaluate the effectiveness of disinfection in various places.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.147-156
• /
• 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to compare and analyze the job stress of nurses with and without in COVID-19-related work. Methods: A structured self-reported questionnaire survey was conducted to assess job stress. The extent of job stress was compared between nurses with COVID-19 (COVID-19 group) and those without such experience (non-COVID-19 group). Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify the factors influencing job stress. Results: Job stress was higher in the COVID-19 group compared to the non-COVID-19 group (t=2.54, p=.12). In sub-categorical comparison, stress driven by a taxing work environment, relationship conflict, and work schedule was higher in the COVID-19 group than the non-COVID-19 group. Multiple regression analysis revealed the job stress was higher among nurses with COVID-19-related work experience than that of non-experienced nurses. The factors affecting job stress of nurses with COVID-19-related work experience included emergency room work, providing nursing assistant for COVID-patients, and caring for these patients. Conclusion: Since COVID-19-related work experience is a major factor that affects nurses' job stress, it is imperative to provide various support measures for nursing assistants such as providing a break from working in an environment with high risk of infection, adjusting work schedules, resolving conflicts between personnel, and securing support.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.253-263
• /
• 2023

Purpose: Although chylous ascites is a frequent complication of radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer, proper diagnostic criteria and optimal treatment strategies have not been established. This study aimed to identify the clinical features of chylous ascites and evaluate the treatment outcomes. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of patients who underwent radical gastrectomy between 2013 and 2019. Diagnosis was made when milky fluid or elevated triglyceride levels (≥100 mg/dL) appeared in the drains without a preceding infection. The clinical features, risk factors, and treatment outcomes were assessed according to the initial treatment modalities for fasting and non-fasting groups. Results: Among the 7,388 patients who underwent radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer, 156 (2.1%) experienced chylous ascites. The median length of hospital stay was longer in patients with chylous ascites than in those without (median [interquartile range]: 8.0 [6.0-12.0] vs. 6.0 [5.0-8.0], P<0.001). Low body mass index (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=0.9; P<0.001), advanced gastric cancer (aOR=1.51, P=0.024), open surgery (reference: laparoscopic surgery; aOR=1.87, P=0.003), and extent of surgical resection (reference: subtotal gastrectomy, total gastrectomy, aOR=1.5, P=0.029; proximal gastrectomy, aOR=2.93, P=0.002) were associated with the occurrence of chylous ascites. The fasting group (n=12) was hospitalized for a longer period than the non-fasting group (n=144) (15.0 [12.5-19.5] vs. 8.0 [6.0-10.0], P<0.001). There was no difference in grade III complication rate (16.7% vs. 4.2%, P=0.117) or readmission rate (16.7% vs. 11.1%, P=0.632) between the groups. Conclusions: A fat-controlled diet and medication without fasting provided adequate initial treatment for chylous ascites after radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.317-321
• /
• 2022

Due to COVID-19 pandemic, wearing face masks is obligatory to prevent respiratory virus transmissions in the community. However, there are few studies of the desirable number of wearing a face mask, and how to store them for reuse. Therefore, in this study, a survey was conducted among 208 healthy adults, and 27 kf-94 masks worn for 1, 2, and 3 days were collected. To estimate the risk of bacterial contamination, we analyzed the extent of bacterial contamination of the BHI medium and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. With an increase in the number of days of using the mask, the degree of bacterial contamination of the used mask gradually increased. As a result of 16S rRNA PCR performed for strain identification, Staphylococcus, known as a pathogenic bacterium, was identified the most. In conclusion, we found that wearing a cotton KF mask provides an optimal environment for microbes, which are related to the skin and respiratory system, to thrive. Therefore, it is also important to reduce the risk of bacterial infection of the face mask with appropriate sterilization methods.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.379-386
• /
• 2022

Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel are at high risk for adverse mental health outcomes during disease outbreaks. To support the development of evidence-informed mitigation strategies, we conducted a scoping review to identify the extent of research pertaining to EMS personnel's mental health during disease outbreaks and summarized key factors associated with mental health outcomes. We systematically searched three databases for articles containing keywords within three concepts: EMS personnel, disease outbreaks, and mental health. We screened and retained original peer-reviewed articles that discussed, in English, EMS personnel's mental health during disease outbreaks. Where inferential statistics were reported, the associations between individual and work-related factors and mental health outcomes were synthesized. Twenty-five articles were eligible for data extraction. Our findings suggest that many of the contributing factors for adverse mental health outcomes are related to inadequacies in fulfilling EMS personnel's basic safety and informational needs. In preparation for future disease outbreaks, resources should be prioritized toward ensuring adequate provisions of personal protective equipment and infection prevention and control training. This scoping review serves as a launching pad for further research and intervention development.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.13-20
• /
• 2007

This study is aimed at providing basic data for measures to prevent dental hygienists who are highly exposed to hepatitis-B virus due to their characteristic working conditions from being infected of it. In order to determine their perception and the extent of their exposure to the risk of infection with hepatitis-B virus, a survey was conducted with questionnaires distributed to 354 dental hygienists who are working at dental offices in Seoul. Gyeongi and Jeolla provincial areas. From the survey, following conclusions could be drawn: 1. Sixty three point seven to 100 percent of them are found to have been vaccinated against hepatitis-B virus as is generally expected from their working environment. 2. Their general characters are found to be statistically significant in terms of vaccinating point of time among those who have been vaccinated. Most respondents are either vaccinated one year or 5 years ago. The completion of 3 requested vaccinations lies in the level of 64.3%~100% depending on the general characters. By age, the best result comes from the age group of 25~29, followed by the groups older than 30 and 20-24 in order (p < 0.05). Formation of antibody belongs to the level of 45%~100% generally. But statistically significant of them is the extremely unhealthy state with 100%, followed by normal, generally healthy, very healthy and not healthy in sequence (p < 0.05). 3. In terms of family's clinical history, it is known that the older (p < 0.01), the more unhealthy (p < 0.01) and the married (p < 0.01), the more possibility of having anamnesis of hepatitis-B virus infection. 4. The level of knowledge about Hepatitis-B virus is shown to be in the extent of 4.39~5.01 out of maximum 8 points in general terms. 5. It is revealed that there are high chances for dental hygienists to get spattered with body matters of patients like blood or sputum on their faces in general characters (87.%~100%). 6. A high rate (75%~100%) of respondents has experienced being shot by needles. The older(p < 0.05) and the longer(p < 0.05) their career, the higher the rate becomes.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.53 no.1
• /
• pp.5-16
• /
• 2002

Background : Though mononuclear phagocytes serve as the final effectors in killing intracellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacilli readily survive in the intracellular environment of resting cells. The mechanisms through which cellular activation results in the intracellular killing is unclear. In this study, we sought to explore an in vitro model of a low-level infection of human mononuclear phagocytes with MAC and $H_{37}Ra$ and determine the extent of the lymphocyte dependent cytotoxicity of human monocytes and alveolar macrophages. Materials and Methods : The peripheral monocytes were prepared using the Ficoll gradient method from PPD positive healthy people and tuberculosis patients. The alveolar macrophages were prepared from PPD positive healthy people via a bronchoalveolar lavage. The human mononuclear phagocytes were infected at a low infection rate (bacilli:phagocyte 1:10) with MAC(Mycobacterium avium) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis $H_{37}Ra$. Non-adherent cells(lymphocyte) were added at a 10:1 ratio. After 1,4, and 7 days culture in $37^{\circ}C$, 5% CO2 incubator, the cells were harvested and inoculated in a 7H10/OADC agar plate for the CFU assay. The bacilli were calculated with the CFU/$1{\times}10^6$ of the cells and the cytotoxicity was expressed as the log killing ratio. Results : The intracellular killing of MAC and $H_{37}Ra$ within the monocyte was greater in patients with tuberculosis compared to the PPD positive controls (p<0.05). Intracellular killing of MAC and $H_{37}Ra$ within the alveolar macrophage appeared to be greater than that within the monocytes of the PPD positive controls. There was significant lymphocyte dependent inhibition of intracellular growth of the mycobacteria within the monocytes in both the controls and tuberculosis patients and within the macrophages in the controls(p<0.05). There was no specific difference in the virulence between the MAC and the $H_{37}Ra$. Conclusion : This study is an in vitro model of a low-level infection with MAC and $H_{37}Ra$ of human mononuclear phagocytes. The intracellular cytotoxicity of the mycobacteria within the phagocytic cells was significantly lymphocyte dependent. During the 7 days culture after the intracellular phagocytosis, the actual confinement of the mycobacteria was observed within the monocytes of tuberculosis patients and the alveolar macrophages of the controls as in the case of adding lymphocytes.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.186-198
• /
• 2016

HPAI(Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza) is a contagious animal disease that spreads rapidly by diffusion after the first occurrence. The disease has brought tremendous social costs and economic losses. KAHIS (Korea Animal Health Information System) is the integrated system for supporting the task of preventing epidemics. They provide decision-support information, recording vehicle visiting times and facility location, etc., which is possible by enforcing registration of all livestock related facilities and vehicles. KAHIS has accumulated spatial and temporal information that enables effective tracing of potential disease trajectories and diffusion through vehicle movements. The contact network is created utilizing spatial and temporal information in KAHIS to inform facility connection via vehicle visitation. Based on the contact network, it is possible to infer spatial and temporal mechanism of disease spread and diffusion. The study objective is to empirically demonstrate how to utilize primary spatial and temporal information in KAHIS in the form of the contact network. Based on the contact network, facilities with the possibility of infection can be pinpointed within the potential spatial and temporal extent where the disease has spread and diffused. This aids the decision-making process in the task of preventing epidemics. By interpreting our demonstration results, policy implications were presented. Finally, some suggestions were made to comprehensively utilize the contact network to draw enhanced decision-support information.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
• /
• v.34 no.6
• /
• pp.519-532
• /
• 1999

Helicobacter pylori is a causative agent of type B gastritis and plays a central role in the pathogenesis of gastroduodenal ulcer and gastric cancer. To elucidate the host-parasite relationship of the H. pylori infection on the basis of molecular biology, we tried to evaluate the genomic diversity of H. pylori. An ordered overlapping bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library of a Korean isolate, H. pylori 51 was constructed to set up a genomic map. A circular physical map was constructed by aligning ApaI, NotI and SfiI-digested chromosomal DNA. When the physical map of H. pylori 51 was compared to that of unrelated strain, H. pylori 26695, completely different restriction patterns were shown. Fifteen known genes were mapped on the chromosome of H. pylori 51 and the genetic map was compared with those of strain 26695 and J99, of which the entire genomic sequences were reported. There were some variability in the gene location as well as gene order among three strains. For further analysis on the genomic diversity of H. pylori, when comparing the genomic structure of 150 H. pylori Korean isolates with one another, genomic macrodiversity of H. pylori was characterized by several features: whether or not susceptible to restriction digestion of the chromsome, variation in chromosomal restriction fingerprint and/or high frequency of gene rearrangement. We also examined the extent of allelic variation in nucleotide or deduced amino acid sequences at the individual gene level. fucT, cagA and vacA were confirmed to carry regions of high variation in nucleotide sequence among strains. The plasticity zone and strain-specific genes of H. pylori 51 were analyzed and compared with the former two genomic sequences. It should be noted that the H. pylori 51-specific sequences were dispersed on the chromosome, not congregated in the plasticity zone unlike J99- or 26695-specific genes, suggesting the high frequency of gene rearrangement in H. pylori genome. The genome of H. pylori 51 shows differences in the overall genomic organization, gene order, and even in the nucleotide sequences among the H. pylori strains, which are far greater than the differences reported on the genomic diversity of H. pylori.