• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
• /
• v.51 no.4
• /
• pp.428-435
• /
• 2019

The rapid increase and dissemination of carbapene mases, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC), has become a major problem within the field of healthcare-related infection. There are few antibiotics to treat carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections, so the identification of resistant bacterial mechanisms is critical to initiate infection control and conduct epidemiological research. A rapid and effective method for detecting KPC-producing bacteria is needed to avoid therapeutic failures and introduce measures to prevent and control the dissemination of these multi-resistant bacteria. During the study period, 31 isolates (seven isolates of Acinetobacter spp., six isolates of Morganella morganii, five isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, five isolates of Proteus mirabilis, one isolate of Proteus vulgaris, two isolates of Enterobacter cloacae, one isolate of Enterobacter aerogenes, one isolate of Klebsiella pneumoniae, one isolate of Klebsiella oxytoca, one isolate of Serratia marcescens and one isolate of Escherichia coli) were identified by the VITEK. Gram negative rod bacteria were the most frequently isolated from urine (35.5%), blood (19.4%), sputum (16.1%), pus (9.7%), ascitic fluid (9.7%), tracheal aspirates (6.5%) and bile juice (3.2%). Analysis using the PCR method identified the bla_KPC gene in the K. oxytoca1 strain, but the bla_IMP, bla_VIM and bla_OXA-48 genes are not amplified. In conclusion, diagnosis using the PCR method can accurately and quickly diagnose KPC, thus establishing quick preventive measures to prevent the spread of KPC in hospitals.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.68.1-68.15
• /
• 2021

Background: Colistin and carbapenem-resistant bacteria have emerged and become a serious public health concern, but their epidemiological data is still limited. Objectives: This study examined colistin and carbapenem resistance in Escherichia coli and Salmonella from pigs, pig carcasses, and pork in Thailand, Lao PDR, and Cambodia border provinces. Methods: The phenotypic and genotypic resistance to colistin and meropenem was determined in E. coli and Salmonella obtained from pigs, pig carcasses, and pork (n = 1,619). A conjugative experiment was performed in all isolates carrying the mcr gene (s) (n = 68). The plasmid replicon type was determined in the isolates carrying a conjugative plasmid with mcr by PCR-based replicon typing (n = 7). The genetic relatedness of mcr-positive Salmonella (n = 11) was investigated by multi-locus sequence typing. Results: Colistin resistance was more common in E. coli (8%) than Salmonella (1%). The highest resistance rate was found in E. coli (17.8%) and Salmonella (1.7%) from Cambodia. Colistin-resistance genes, mcr-1, mcr-3, and mcr-5, were identified, of which mcr-1 and mcr-3 were predominant in E. coli (5.8%) and Salmonella (1.7%), respectively. The mcr-5 gene was observed in E. coli from pork in Cambodia. Two colistin-susceptible pig isolates from Thailand carried both mcr-1 and mcr-3. Seven E. coli and Salmonella isolates contained mcr-1 or mcr-3 associated with the IncF and IncI plasmids. The mcr-positive Salmonella from Thailand and Cambodia were categorized into two clusters with 94%-97% similarity. None of these clusters was meropenem resistant. Conclusions: Colistin-resistant E. coli and Salmonella were distributed in pigs, pig carcasses, and pork in the border areas. Undivided-One Health collaboration is needed to address the issue.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.417-430
• /
• 2019

The policies developed for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in adults may not be the most suitable ones to treat children and adolescents. Methods used to treat children and adolescents in Europe and North America may not be appropriate for treating children and adolescents in Korea due to differences in epidemiological characteristics of H. pylori between regions. Moreover, the agreed standard guidelines for the treatment of H. pylori infection in children and adolescents in Korea have not been established yet. In this study, the optimal treatment strategy for H. pylori infection control in children and adolescents in Korea is discussed based on these guidelines, and recent progress on the use and misuse of antimicrobial agents is elaborated. Non-invasive as well as invasive diagnostic test and treatment strategy for H. pylori infection are not recommendable in children aged less than ten years or children with body weight under 35 kg, except in cases of clinically suspected or endoscopically identified peptic ulcers. The uncertainty, whether enough antimicrobial concentrations to eradicate H. pylori can be maintained when administered according to body weight-based dosing, and the costs and adverse effects outweighing the anticipated benefits of treatment make it difficult to decide to eradicate H. pylori in a positive noninvasive diagnostic test in this age group. However, adolescents over ten years of age or with a bodyweight of more than 35 kg can be managed aggressively as adults, because they can tolerate the adult doses of anti-H. pylori therapy. In adolescents, the prevention of future peptic ulcers and gastric cancers is expected after the eradication of H. pylori. Bismuth-based quadruple therapy (bismuth-proton pump inhibitor-amoxicillin/tetracycline-metronidazole) with maximal tolerable doses and optimal dose intervals of 14 days is recommended, because in Korea, the antibiotic susceptibility test for H. pylori is not performed at the initial diagnostic evaluation. If the first-line treatment fails, concomitant therapy plus bismuth can be attempted for 14 days as an empirical rescue therapy. Finally, the salvage therapy, if needed, must be administered after the H. pylori antibiotic susceptibility test.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.93-112
• /
• 2019

Calf diarrhea is a common disease in young claves and is still a major cause of productivity and economic loss in livestock farms. Fecal samples from Korean native cattle (n=100) with diarrhea from 64 farms in Gwangju area, Korea from september 2017 to December 2018 were examined for shedding of important protozoan parasitic, viral and bacterial pathogens using culture, rapid test kit and PCR methods. Of 57 (89.1%) of the 64 Korean native cattle farms examined had samples infected with at least one of the investigated pathogens. Among 100 fecal samples, 88 samples were positive for at least one the twelve pathogens and 51 samples were simultaneously positive for two or more pathogens by culture and PCR assay. Bovine group A rotavirus (BRV) was the most common pathogen, found in 43/100 (43.0%) samples on 32/64 (50.0%) farms. Subsequently, kobuvirus (30.0%), pathogenic E. coli (29.0%), bovine parvovirus (17.0%), Giardia spp. (13.0%), Eimeria spp. (10.0%), Clostridium perfringens type A (8.0%), bovine torovirus (8.0%), bovine viral diarrhea virus (6.0%), bovine coronavirus (5.0%), bovine norovirus (2.0%) and Cryptosporidium spp. (2.0%) were detected. Nebovirus, kırklareli virus, bovine adenovirus, Salmonella spp. and intestinal parasites were not detected. Of the 72 calves sampled in this age group, 64 (88.9%) samples were positive for at least one enteropathogen. BRV was identified in 34/72 (47.2%) samples from 27/48 (56.3%) farms. Subsequently, pathogenic E. coli (30.6%), kobuvirus (29.2%), BPaV (22.2%), Giardia spp. (15.3%), Eimeria spp. (9.7%), BVDV (6.9%), Cl. perfringens type A (6.9%), BCoV (4.6%) and Cryptosporidium spp. (2.8%) were detected in fecal samples. A total of ninety-six strains of E. coli were isolated from one hundred fecal samples collected from Korean native cattle with diarrhea. The presence of stx1, stx2, eaeA, LT, STa, STb, ehxA, saa, F4, F5(K99), F6, F17, F18 and F41 genes in the isolates was investigated by PCR. Out of ninety-six E. coli isolates screened for specific genes, 30 strains E. coli were identified to harbor shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) 7 (7.3%), enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) 8 (8.3%), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) 6 (6.3%), enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) 2 (2.1%) and STEC/ETEC hybrid 7 (7.3%). This study provides epidemiological estimates of the prevalence of Korean native cattle's enteropathogens in Gwangju area, Korea, which would be used for cattle farmers and veterinarians to select appropriate therapeutic method.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.46 no.1
• /
• pp.14-23
• /
• 2021

Background: For radiological protection and control, the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) provides the nominal risk coefficients related to radiation exposure, which can be extrapolated using the excess relative risk and excess absolute risk obtained from the Life Span Study of atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki with the dose and dose-rate effectiveness factor (DDREF). Materials and Methods: Since it is impossible to directly estimate the radiation risk at doses less than approximately 100 mSv only from epidemiological knowledge and data, support from radiation biology is absolutely imperative, and thus, several national and international bodies have advocated the importance of bridging knowledge between biology and epidemiology. Because of the accident at the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO)'s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in 2011, the exposure of the public to radiation has become a major concern and it was considered that the estimation of radiation risk should be more realistic to cope with the prevailing radiation exposure situation. Results and Discussion: To discuss the issues from wide aspects related to radiological protection, and to realize bridging knowledge between biology and epidemiology, we have established a research group to develop low-dose and low-dose-rate radiation risk estimation methodology, with the permission of the Japan Health Physics Society. Conclusion: The aim of the research group was to clarify the current situation and issues related to the risk estimation of low-dose and low-dose-rate radiation exposure from the viewpoints of different research fields, such as epidemiology, biology, modeling, and dosimetry, to identify a future strategy and roadmap to elucidate a more realistic estimation of risk against low-dose and low-dose-rate radiation exposure.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.60 no.1
• /
• pp.65-71
• /
• 2022

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is a zoonotic, tick-borne RNA virus of the genus Bandavirus (Family Phenuiviridae), mainly reported in China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (Korea). For the purpose of this study, a total of 3,898 adult and nymphal ticks of species Haemaphysalis longicornis (94.2%), Haemaphysalis flava (5.0%), Ixodes nipponensis (0.8%), and 1 specimen of Ixodes ovatus, were collected from the Deogyusan National Park, Korea, between April 2016 and June 2018. A single-step reverse transcriptase-nested PCR was performed, targeting the S segment of the SFTSV RNA. Total infection rate (IR) of SFTSV in individual ticks was found to be 6.0%. Based on developmental stages, IR was 5.3% in adults and 6.0% in nymphs. The S segment sequences obtained from PCR were divided into 17 haplotypes. All haplotypes were phylogenetically clustered into clades B-2 and B-3, with 92.7% sequences in B-2 and 7.3% in B-3. These observations indicate that the Korean SFTSV strains were closer to the Japanese than the Chinese strains. Further epidemiological studies are necessary to better understand the characteristics of the Korean SFTSV and its transmission cycle in the ecosystem.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.32 no.10
• /
• pp.771-777
• /
• 2022

Dopaminergic (DA) cell death in Parkinson's disease (PD) has been attributed to multiple, distinct genetic and environmental factors. In rare familial PD loss of parkin function mutations play a key role in nigral DA neuron-specific pathogenesis primarily via endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. In more prevalent sporadic PD, environmental exposure to pesticides has a significant epidemiological role. However, it is largely unknown how environmental exposure to xenobiotics is etiologically linked with the known etiology in familial PD. In the present study biochemical evidence for a common pathogenic mechanism between sporadic and familial PD has been identified employing the recently characterized mesencephalic DA cell line, N27-A. Dieldrin, an organochlorine pesticide epidemiologically implicated in sporadic PD, induced the markers of ER stress response such as a chaperone BiP/Grp78, heme oxygenase-1 and especially, parkin. Accordingly, dieldrin activated the ER resident Caspase-12, a mediator of ER stress-specific apoptosis, during cell death of N27-A cells. Of great interest the dieldrin-induced DA neuronal cell death was synergistically rescued by the overexpression of ER resident neuroprotective proteins, parkin and Bcl-2. The present findings implicate that accumulation of ER stress could be one of common pathogenic mechanisms in idiopathic and familial PD, and some ER proteins, such as parkin and Bcl-2 may effectively attenuate ER stress-mediated N27-A DA cell death.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.58-70
• /
• 2022

The emergency preparedness exercise currently conducted by the government has been conducted as a message-based exercise for more than 50 years. Therefore, in this study, a simulation-based maintenance practice model was developed focusing on infectious disease situations, and the possibility of a training system applying scientific techniques was presented. As a result, First, a simulatioon logic assuming an infectious disease outbreak situation was developed. The situation of an infectious disease outbreak was made to occur when measures are not taken within 24 hours for the death due to disease, and when appropriate measures are not taken for contaminated food (24 hours), drinking water (12 hours), and drinking water shortage (24 hours). Second, in order to implement the simulation logic, simulation engine SW was developed for emergency medical team, epidemiological investigation team, dead burial team, quarantine and disinfection team, etc., and situation map SW was developed so that these contents could be expressed in the situation map. As suggested in this paper, if scientific techniques are applied to the simulation-based government practice model to expand the scope, training will be possible by creating practical situations that can occur in the real world, and the Chungmu plan and various emergency preparedness plans will be verified.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.199-207
• /
• 2023

To prepare for the threat of a future epidemic in the post-COVID-19 era, research based on the one-health concept (i.e., the health of humans, animals, and the environment as "one") is essential. Cross-species infections are being identified as a result of the high infection rate and viral load of SARS-CoV-2 in humans. The possibility of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to mink has been determined. In addition, the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to cats through contact has been considered possible. The data so far show that livestock and poultry are less likely to be infected with SARS-CoV-2. However, if infections are established through a new mutation, the resulting diseases are expected to have enormous ripple effects on various fields, such as human food security, the economy, and trade. In addition, there are concerns about the endemic prospect of SARS-CoV-2 and the high accessibility of companion animals. This is because the evolution of the virus likely occurs in animal hosts. Once SARS-CoV-2 is established in other species, they might serve as intermediate hosts for the re-emergence of the virus in the human population. Thus, it is necessary to ensure a rapid response to future outbreaks by accumulating research data on the animal infection of SARS-CoV-2. These data can have implications for the development of animal models for vaccines and therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, in this study, epidemiological reviews were analyzed, and response strategies against SARS-CoV-2 infection in animals were presented using the One-health approach.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.33 no.5
• /
• pp.429-435
• /
• 2023

Epidemiological studies suggest that maternal infection, maternal stress, and environmental risk factors during pregnancy increase the risk of brain development abnormalities associated with cognitive impairment in the offspring and increase susceptibility to schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. Several animal models have demonstrated that maternal immune activation (MIA) is sufficient to induce abnormal brain development and behavioral defects in the fetus. When polyinosine:polycytodylic acid (poly I:C) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which is commonly used in maternal immune activation animal models, was introduced into a pregnant dam, an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines and microglial activity was observed in the offspring's brain. Microglia are brain-resident immune cells that play a mediating role in the central nervous system, and they are responsible for various functions, such as phagocytosis, synapse formation and branching, and angiogenesis. Several studies have reported that microglia are activated in MIA offspring and influence offspring behavior through interactions with various cytokines. In addition, it has been reported that they play an important role in brain circuits through interactions with neurons and astrocytes. However, there is controversy concerning whether microglia are essential to brain development or lead to behavioral defects, and the exact mechanism remains unknown. Therefore, for the potential diagnosis and treatment of brain developmental disorders, a functional study of microglia should be conducted using MIA animal models.