• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.101-112
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• 2009

Objectives: Cattle slaughterhouse workers are known as the high risk group for the zoonoses. We surveyed the awareness of zoonoses among cattle slaughterhouse workers to suggest direction of education and public relations. Methods: We evaluated the epidemiological characteristics of zoonoses and the process of cattle slaughtering. We designed different questionnaires for the workers involved in slaughtering, the handlers of residual products, the inspectors and their assistants, and the grading testers and their assistants respectively. We visited 73 cattle slaughterhouses and 62 residual products handle houses across the country and conducted a questionnaire survey of the general characteristics and the awareness of zoonoses. The data collected was evaluated using the SPSS 17.0 statistical package. Results: The awareness rate of brucellosis, Q fever and Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) were 83.9%, 18.5%, 62.7% among cattle slaughterhouse workers. The awareness rate of zoonoses among the workers involved in slaughtering and the handlers of residual products was lower than other workers. The awareness rate of zoonoses tended to increase as the school career. In the correct awareness rate of the transmission of zoonoses, 'transmission by tick bite', 'person to person' and 'air transmission' were lower than other transmission items. The most common reason why cattle slaughterhouse workers think that it is difficult to prevent zoonoses was the ignorance of how to prevent. Conclusions: An educational program is needed for the cattle slaughterhouse workers on zoonoses especially Q fever. And publicity activities about prevention of infection are needed for high risk groups.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.283-290
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• 2021

This is a study on the improvement of the chemical treatment method of the livestock carcass treatment newly introduced in the livestock infectious disease prevention method in order to improve the problems of the existing burial-centered carcass treatment method when a livestock infectious disease occurs. It was conducted to establish detailed treatment standards for the chemical treatment method of pig carcasses based on the results of proof of the absence of infectious diseases in pigs. After inoculating pig carcasses with 10 pathogens (6 viruses [FMDV, ASFV, CSFV, PCV2, PRRSV, PEDV] and 4 bacteria [Lawsonia intracellularis, Clostridium perfringens type C, E. coli, Salmonella Typhimurium]) It was treated at 90℃ for 5 hours in a potassium hydroxide (KOH) liquid solution corresponding to 15% of the body weight. This method liquefies all cadaveric components and inactivates all inoculated pathogens. Based on these results, it was possible to prove that chemical treatment of pig carcasses is effective in killing pathogens and is a safe method without the risk of disease transmission. Although there are problems to be solved in the processing and operation of the chemical treatment products of livestock carcasses, the chemical treatment method of livestock carcasses can be suggested as an alternative to the current domestic burial-centered livestock carcass treatment method, preventing environmental pollution, and contributing to public health.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.749-762
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• 2020

Influenza A viruses are circulating in a variety of hosts, including humans, pigs, and poultry. Swine influenza virus is a zoonotic pathogen that can be readily transmitted to humans. The influenza viruses of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic were derived from swine influenza viruses, and it has been suggested that the 1957 H2N2 pandemic and the 1968 H3N2 pandemic both originated in pigs. Pigs are regarded as a mixing vessel in the creation of novel influenza viruses since they are readily infected with human and avian influenza viruses. We isolated three novel H1N2 influenza viruses from pigs showing respiratory symptoms on a Korean farm in 2019. These viruses were reassortants, containing PA and NP genes from those of the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus in addition to PB2, PB1, HA, NA, M, and NS genes from those of triple-reassortant swine H3N2 and classical swine H1N2 influenza viruses circulating in Korean pigs. Mice infected with the isolated H1N2 influenza virus lost up to 17% body weight and exhibited interstitial pneumonia involving infiltration of many inflammatory cells. Results suggest that close surveillance to detect emerging influenza viruses in pigs is necessary for the health of both pigs and humans.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.221-228
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• 2018

Since the discovery that Mycobacterium aviumsubsp. paratuberculosis (Map) is the causative agent of Johne's disease (JD) in cattle at the end of the nineteenth century, movement of livestock latently infected with Map has led to the spread of JD throughout the world. A new form of enteritis with clinical features of JD in cattle appeared in humans concurrent with the appearance of Map as a disease problem in livestock. The demonstration that Map is a zoonotic pathogen and the causative agent of the new form of enteritis in humans, however, wasn't recognized until late in the twentieth century when methods were developed to detect the presence Map in tissues from patients with the new form of clinical enteritis. The objective of this short review is to provide a brief history explaining how Map has become a major disease problem in livestock and humans and then provide a review of the progress that has been made in treating patients with an enteritis caused by Map and the strategies underway to develop a vaccine to control infection in livestock.

• 한국환경농학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.07a
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• pp.228-239
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• 2009

The observations on climate change show a clear increase in the temperature of the Earth's surface and the oceans, a reduction in the land snow cover, and melting of the sea ice and glaciers. The effects of climate change are likely to include more variable weather, heat waves, increased mean temperature, rains, flooding and droughts. The threat of climate change and global warming on human and animal health is now recognized as a global issue. This presentation is described an overview of the latest scientific knowledge on the impact of climate change on zoonotic diseases. Climate strongly affects agriculture and livestock production and influences animal diseases, vectors and pathogens, and their habitat. Global warming are likely to change the temporal and geographical distribution of infectious diseases, including those that are vector-borne such as West Nile fever, Rift Valley fever, Japanese encephalitis, bluetongue, malaria and visceral leishmaniasis, and other diarrheal diseases. The distribution and prevalence of vector-borne diseases may be the most significant effect of climate change. The impact of climate change on the emergence and re-emergence of animal diseases has been confirmed by a majority of countries. Emerging zoonotic diseases are increasingly recognized as a global and regional issue with potential serious human health and economic impacts and their current upward trends are likely to continue. Coordinated international responses are therefore essential across veterinary and human health sectors, regions and countries to control and prevent emerging zoonoses. A new early warning and alert systems is developing and introducing for enhancing surveillance and response to zoonotic diseases. And international networks that include public health, research, medical and veterinary laboratories working with zoonotic pathogens should be established and strengthened. Facing this challenging future, the long-term strategies for zoonotic diseases that may be affected by climate change is need for better prevention and control measures in susceptible livestock, wildlife and vectors in Korea. In conclusion, strengthening global, regional and national early warning systems is extremely important, as are coordinated research programmes and subsequent prevention and control measures, and need for the global surveillance network essential for early detection of zoonotic diseases.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.504-507
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• 2015

Coxiella burnetii is an obligate intracellular rickettsial organism and the causative agent of Query fever, a zoonosis that occurs worldwide. In Korea, C. burnetii infection had occurred in humans and animals. However, the studies were only conducted in geographically limited area for detection of C. burnetii. The objective of this study was to detect C. burnetii in Korean native cattle and dairy cattle nationwide by real-time PCR. The total of 807 blood samples from 622 Korean native cattle and 185 dairy cows, 170 individual milk samples of dairy cows, and 348 bulk tank milk samples of dairy herds were collected nationwide. From blood samples, C. burnetii was detected in 17 (2.7%) out of 622 Korean native cattle and 2 (1.1%) of 185 dairy cows. From milk samples, C. burnetii was detected in 27 (15.9%) out of 170 individual milk samples of dairy cows. And C. burnetii was detected in 84 (24.1%) of 348 bulk tank milk samples. In conclusion, this study revealed that the detection rates are considerably high in cattle and the infection of C. burnetii has been continuously occurring in cattle of Korea. In order to prevent the hazards of a zoonosis Q-fever that occur both humans and domestic animals, further studies are needed to clarify the epidemiology of Q-fever of domestic animals and humans in Korea.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.320-325
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• 2018

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection accounts for 20 million annual infections worldwide. HEV can be fatal in approximately 20-30% of pregnant women. HEV infections are normally self-limiting and mostly asymptomatic. However, in patients with insufficient immunity, such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients, chronic and often fatal infections may ensue. Therefore, it is likely that host immune responses, especially interferon responses, play a critical role in HEV infection control. Here, we report that an HEV-encoded non-structural protein down-regulates type I interferon response. In addition, some other immune genes involved in the induction of type I interferon may be regulated as well. Detailed molecular mechanisms are currently being studied.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.117-124
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• 2022

In the event of an outbreak of a livestock epidemic, it has been considered that the existing burial-centered carcass disposal method should be improved ecofriendly for prevention of leachate and odors from burial basically in regard of pathogen inactivation. Therefore, the aim of this study is whether it was possible to treat the carcass of cattle and chickens using the chemical carcass treatment method. It was conducted to establish detailed treatment standards for the chemical treatment method of cattle and chicken carcasses based on the results of the proof of the absence of infectious diseases in cattle chickens. After inoculating cattle carcass with 10 pathogens (foot and mouth disease virus, bovine viral diarrhea virus, Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacterium avium subsp. Paratuberculosis, Brucella abortus, Bacillus anthracis, Clostridium chauvoei, Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella Typhimurium) and chicken carcasses with low pathogenic avian influenza virus, Clostridium perfringens type C, E. coli and Salmonella Typhimurium, these were treated at 90℃ for 5 hours in a potassium hydroxide liquid solution corresponding to 15% of the body weight. This method liquefies all cadaveric components and inactivates all inoculated pathogens by PCR and culture. Based on these results, it was possible to prove that chemical treatment of cattle and chicken carcasses is effective in killing pathogens and is a safe method without the risk of disease transmission. The chemical treatment method of livestock carcasses can be suggested as an alternative to the current domestic burial-centered livestock carcass treatment method, preventing environmental pollution, and contributing to public health.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.59-63
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• 2012

Bovine serum contains various nutrients and growth factors that can be potentially used in biological experiments, drug manufacturing process and food industry. However, almost all the bovine blood has been wasted during slaughter process in Korea, thus there is a high demand for alternative uses of the wasted sera. In order to produce high quality and safe sera, it is necessary to screen zoonotic pathogens as well as other microbial contaminants to prevent any downstream contamination. The present research has been undertaken to assess biological safety of Hanwoo sera by determining microbiological contamination during slaughtering and handling processes. Serological tests have been performed to detect bacteria, mycoplasma and virus contamination in total of 52 Hanwoo sera. No sera were found to be contaminated with mycoplasma or virus, but only two sera were found to be contaminated with Bacillus thuringiensis. The present result shows that Hanwoo sera obtained from slaughtering process are biologically safe and have potentials to be developed as a biological reagent. Moreover, the methods employed in our study may provide basic standard for microbiological screening methods once wasted Hanwoo sera gain industrial values.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.299-303
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• 2016

Salmonella spp. and Brucella spp. can cause considerable diseases on both humans and animals. In addition, these microorganisms cause the economic loss in animal farming and food industry. In this study, the disinfection efficacy of a disinfectant spray, composed to grapefruit seed extract, citric acid, malic acid and benzalkonium chloride, was evaluated against S. Typhimurium and B. ovis. A bactericidal efficacy test by broth dilution method was used to determine the lowest effective dilution of the disinfectant following exposure to test bacteria for 30 min at $4^{\circ}C$. The disinfectant and test bacteria were diluted with hard water (HW) or organic matter suspension (OM) according to treatment condition. On HW condition, the bactericidal activity of the disinfectant spray against S. Typhimurium and B. ovis was 5 and 4 fold dilutions, respectively. On OM condition, the bactericidal activity of the disinfectant spray was 2 and 1 fold dilutions against S. Typhimurium and B. ovis, respectively. As the disinfectant spray possesses bactericidal efficacy against foodborne pathogens such as S. Typhimurium and B. ovis, the disinfectant spray can be used to control the spread of bacterial diseases.