• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.74 no.5
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• pp.215-221
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• 2013

Background: Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are considered opportunistic pathogens, and several species of NTM are associated with human diseases that typically involve the pulmonary, skin/soft tissue, or lymphatic systems; such infection may also cause disseminated diseases. Recent studies have reported increasing rates of NTM-induced disease worldwide. Methods: Respiratory samples are being analyzed for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) culture and NTM identification at Dankook University Hospital in Cheonan, Korea, from September 2005 to September 2011. Identification is performed by using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis targeting a novel region of the rpoB gene. Results: A total of 25,133 specimens were received for AFB culture, of which 1,014 (4.0%) were NTM-positive. A total of 267 samples from 186 patients were tested for NTM identifications, and 232 samples from 157 patients were positive for NTM species. Among the patients who tested positive for NTM, 65.6% were men and the average age was 63.3 years. Mycobacterium avium complex, the most commonly detected NTM pathogen, was found in 65.9% of the 232 samples. The annual average percentage of NTM isolates from AFB culture-positive specimens was 31.3%: the highest rate was seen in 2011 (44.3%), followed by 2009 (37.4%) and 2010 (37.2%). An upward trend in NTM incidence was found during the study period. Conclusion: The prevalence of pulmonary NTM isolates continues to increase in Cheonan, suggesting that pulmonary NTM disease is becoming increasingly common.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.54 no.9
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• pp.363-367
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• 2011

Central venous catheters (CVCs) are regularly used in intensive care units, and catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) remains a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections, particularly in preterm infants. Increased survival rate of extremely-low-birth-weight infants can be partly attributed to routine practice of CVC placement. The most common types of CVCs used in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) include umbilical venous catheters, peripherally inserted central catheters, and tunneled catheters. CRBSI is defined as a laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infection (BSI) with either a positive catheter tip culture or a positive blood culture drawn from the CVC. BSIs most frequently result from pathogens such as gram-positive cocci, coagulase-negative staphylococci, and sometimes gram-negative organisms. CRBSIs are usually associated with several risk factors, including prolonged catheter placement, femoral access, low birth weight, and young gestational age. Most NICUs have a strategy for catheter insertion and maintenance designed to decrease CRBSIs. Specific interventions slightly differ between NICUs, particularly with regard to the types of disinfectants used for hand hygiene and appropriate skin care for the infant. In conclusion, infection rates can be reduced by the application of strict protocols for the placement and maintenance of CVCs and the education of NICU physicians and nurses.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.132-137
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• 2007

Patients with febrile illness and skin rashes need full and immediate attention. In general, these diseases show mild manifestations and good prognosis. However, causalities of some diseases with fever and rash may be life threatening or trivial. So, the differential diagnosis for those patients is extensive. A through history, a careful physical examination and close observation of clinical progress are very helpful and essential to confirming the diagnosis. Histories of recent travel, drug or specific food ingestion, exposure to human or an animal source of infection may be useful to discover the cause. Although laboratory tests can be useful in making the diagnosis, laboratory results usually are not available immediately. Knowledge and experiences of such diseases may be helpful to reduce the differential diagnosis to a few major possibilities. Rashes can be categorized as petechial, maculopapular, vesicular, urticarial and erythematous. Potential causes include infectious pathogens such as virus, bacteria, rickettsiae, spirohetes, connective tissue diseases, allergic diseases and heamto-oncologic diseases. Because the severity of these diseases can vary mild to life threatening, physicians must perform prompt management decisions regarding empirical therapies. In this article, the differential etiological diagnosis of each type rash is reviewed and discussed, and with emphasis on intensive care of life threatening febrile diseases with rashes that are seen in our country.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.19-24
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• 1975

Anaerobic bacteria are the major residents of human skin and mucous membrane. The importance, as opportunistic pathogens, of anaerobic bacteria are well recognized because of more population. with decreased defense against bacterial invasion due to chemotherapy, rediation therapy, extensive surgical operation etc. are dealt at hospitals. An analysis of the anaerobe isolation results at Yonsei University Medical Center during the January 1974-May 1975 period was made and the following results were obtained. 1) From 118 patients 146 strains of anaerobes were isolated. Among these 81.3% were nonsporforming anaerobes. Most frequently isolated anaerobes were Pc. asaccharolyticus, Ps. anaerobius, Ps. intermedius, B. fragilis and Cl. perfringens. 2) Anaerobes were frequently isolated from wound, female genital, intraabdominal, and pleuropulmonary specimens. Fewer anaerobes were isolated from blood, spinal fluid and liver specimens. 3) The ratio of anaerobe isolation to total bacteria isolation were; liver 66.7%, intraabdominal 33.3%, pleuropulmonary 28.9%, spinal fluid 5.0% and blood 4.2%. 4) Among the 118 anaerobe isolated patients, 48.3% yielded anaerobes only and rest of them yielded anaerobes together with aerobes. 5) Most of the gram-positive anaerobes were susceptible to the antibiotics tested. Exception was to tetracycline to which appreciable number showed resistance. It was noteworthy that only 48% of B. fragilis was susceptible to tetracycline.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.121-124
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• 1977

The most common and the most serious complication of the burn is infection, which is to a certain extent inevitable in the light of present knowledge and experience. From the burn wound as a rule there may be cultured at any given time the prevailing flora of the individual patient and of the hospital attendants and ward environ ment. Even without contamination from outside sources, organisms embedded in hair follicles and sweat glands survive the sterilizing effects of heat and serve as potential sources of localized and systemic infection. With necrotic tissue serving as nutrient material for pathogens there may occur, in succession, cellulitis, extending necrosis, lymphangitis and final septicemia. This is to report a case of osteomyelitis due to facial burn of 32 year old Korean male. The authors treated the patient by curettage and thin split thickness skin graft. The post operative course was uncomplicated and result was excellent.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.425-432
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• 2023

Kiwifruit industry has been threatened by the emergence of kiwifruit vine decline syndrome causing plant death within one or two years from symptom appearance. The main symptoms of this syndrome are root cortex breakdown, leaf necrosis, phylloptosis, fruit skin wrinkling, and twig wilting. Kiwifruit vine decline syndrome occurred on both Actinidia chinensis var. chinensis and A. chinensis var. deliciosa in mid-summer after rainy season. Kiwifruit vine decline syndrome was turned out to be severely occurred in wettable clay soils affected by waterlogging or poor aeration. No pathogens were directly correlated with the syndrome. Kiwifruit vine decline syndrome could be expected to be efficiently prevented controlled using Bounty 71 rootstock tolerant to water stress such as waterlogging.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.279-284
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• 2006

Photo-catalytic products have been widely used at home and hospital to prevent bacteria, virus and fungus. Activities of anti-bacteria, anti-viruses and anti-fungi are based upon direct contact of crystals and particles of titanium dioxide with pathogens, into which titanium is catalyzed by photo. Those antimicrobial activities of the photo-catalytic titanium dioxide have been proved in vitro. However, in vivo tests of those activities have not been carried out on dog skin. Aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activities of the catalytic titanium dioxide in vivo. Ten beagle dogs were divided into two groups. One group was sprayed with 10ml of titanium dioxide(1 mg/ml) whereas the other was not. The treated dogs were exposed under the sunlight for 120 min. A set of three hairs was taken 15, 30, 60 and 120 min after the exposure and the bacteria contaminated in hairs were amplified in, Muller Hilton broth at $35^{\circ}C{\pm}1$ for 3 h. The supernatant of the bacterial culture was diluted 1 : 10 in phosphafe-buffered saline. One milliliter of the diluents was transferred into triphenyltetrazolium medium(TTC) and incubated at $35^{\circ}C{\pm}1$ for 2 days. The number of bacteria was counted. The number of bacteria colonies was decreased compared to control group. To further investigate the longevity effect of titanium dioxide, the dogs were kept in indoor without sun light for 6 and 12 h, 1, 2, 3, 7, 14 days after exposure of the chemical during each 15, 30, 60 min. The number of bacteria colony in 1ml was counted. The number of bacterial colonies was decreased. Treated group is exposured by sun light during 15 min, the longevity effect of titanium dioxide is continued by 1 week. Treated group is exposured by sun light during 30, 60 min, the longevity effect of titanium dioxide is continued over 2 weeks. These data indicated that the photo-catalytic titanium dioxide may be used for prevent bacteria on dog skin.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.719-726
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• 2002

Purpose : Neonates in neonatal intensive care units(NICU) have a high risk of acquiring nosocomial infection because of their impaired host defence mechanism and invasive procedures. Nosocomial infection result in considerable morbidity and mortality among neonates. This study was carried out to survey both the epidemiology of nosocomial infection in our NICU and the annual trends of pathogens. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed culture proven nosocomial infection which occurred in our NICU from January 1995 to December 1999. The data included clinical characteristics, site of infection, pathogens, and mortality. Results : Nosocomial infection rates was 9.0 per 100 NICU admissions during the five-year period. Major sites of infection were bloodstream(32.3%), skin(18.4%), endotracheal tube(17.2%), and catheter(10.6%). The most common pathogen was S. aureus(29.9%). and the others were coagulase- negative staphylococci(CONS)(14.8%), Enterobacter(12.4%), and Candida(9.0%). During the five-year period, nosocomial infection rates increased from 9.5 to 11.6 per 100 admissions with the increase of CONS, Candida, Klebsiella, and Acinetobacter baumannii. The infection rate of S. aureus decreased. Multiple episodes of nosocomial infection occurred in 26.1% of all nosocomial infections. Overall bloodstream infection rates were 3.6 per 100 NICU admissions during five years. CONS(29.1%) and S. aureus(27.1%) were the two most common pathogens. Increasing rates of bloodstream infection by CONS, Candida, Klebsiella, and Acinetobacter baumannii were observed. Bloodstream infection related mortality was 11.9%. Conclusion : The predominant pathogens of nosocomial infection in NICU were S. aureus and CONS. Bloodstream infection, the most frequent nosocomial infection, should be a major focus of surveillance and prevention efforts in NICU.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.355-362
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• 2017

The 4 viruses, the Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (ACLSV), Apple stem pitting virus (ASPV), Apple stem grooving virus (ASGV), and Apple mosaic virus (ApMV) and 1 viroid, Apple scar skin viroid (ASSVd) are known major viral pathogens of apple trees in Korea. Infection degree of the 5 viral pathogens in the commercial nursery trees of major apple cultivars, 'Hongro', 'Fuji' and bud mutation of 'Fuji' was investigated. Infection ratio of the ACLSV, ASPV and ASGV for scion of an apple cultivar 'Hongro' were 100%, 81.3% and 100%, respectively. On the other hand, no infection for either ApMV and ASSVd detected. For the root stock of the cultivar, infection ratio of ACLSV, ASPV and ASGV showed 87.5%, 81.3% and 100% as well as ApMV and ASSVd were 12.5% and 6.3%, respectively. From the scion of apple cultivars 'Fuji' and bud mutation of 'Fuji', infection ratio of ACLSV, ASPV and ASGV showed 86.7%, 86.7% and 100%, respectively. Whereas, no infection for either ApMV or ASSVd detected. From the root stock of the cultivars, infection ratio of ACLSV, ASPV and ASGV showed 86.7%, 93.3% and 93.3% as well as ApMV and ASSVd were 12.5% and 6.3%, respectively. Result of our study indicates that most of commercial nursery apple trees were supplied with multiple infections by apple viruses causing potential losses for apple growers and, henceforth, agricultural policy for supply of the virus-free trees should be employed as soon as possible.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.133-144
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• 2011

Background: Tigecycline (TIG), a new broad-spectrum glycylcycline with anti-multidrug-resistant-(MDR)-pathogen activity, was launched in March 2009 in South Korea, but there are insufficient clinical studies on its use in the country. As such, this study was performed to analyze cases of severe MDR-pathogen-caused infections treated with TIG. Methods: Patients treated with TIG within the period from May 2009 to June 2010 were enrolled in this study. Their clinical and microbiologic data were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Twenty-one patients were treated with TIG for complicated skin and soft-tissue infections (cSSTIs) (42.9%), complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAIs) (38.1%), or pneumonia (19.1%) caused by MDR pathogens like carbapenem-resistant $Acinetobacter$ $baumannii$ (76.2%), methicillin-resistant $Staphylococcus$ $aureus$ (61.9%), extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing $Escherichia$ $coli$ and $Klebsiella$ $pneumoniae$ (38.1%), and penicillin-resistant $Enterococcus$ species (33.3%). Thirteen patients (61.9%) had successful clinical outcomes while five (23.8%) died within 30 days. The rate of clinical success was highest in cSSTI (77.8%), followed by cIAI (50%) and pneumonia (50%), and the mortality rate was highest in pneumonia (50%), followed by cIAI (25%) and cSSTI (11.1%), Conclusion: Tigecycline therapy can be an option for the treatment of severe MDR-pathogen-caused infections in South Korea, Due to its high risk of failure and mortality, however, prudence is required in its clinical use for the treatment of severe infections like nosocomial pneumonia.