• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.200-206
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• 1995

Myocarditis refers to inflammation, necrosis, or myocytolysis that may be due to many infectious, connective tissue and many other causes affecting the myocardium or involvement of the endocardium or pericardium. The most common manifestation is congestive heart failure, although arrhythmias and sudden death may be the first sign of myocarditis. Viral myocarditis is typically a sporadic but occasionally epidemic illness, noted as an acute potentially fulminant disease of 1-to 4-wk-old infants, as an acute but more benign myopericarditis of toddlers and young children. The most common casuative agent in viral myocarditis is Coxsackievirus and the outcome of the biopsy-proven chronic dilated cardiomyopathy associated with Coxsackievirus is poor without therapy. Myocarditis may be confirmed by percutaneous endomyocardial biopsy and the viral myocarditis may be diagnosed by the serological viral study with the clinical manifestations. He was admitted for the management of tachyarrhythmias occurred suddenly without prodromal symptoms and signs and diagnosed as viral pancarditis by serological Coxsackievirus study, echocardiogram, chest x-ray, EKG and other clinical manifestations.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.126-132
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• 1997

Measles outbreak in the world was decreased since measles vaccine had been introduced. Although vaccination rate is high, measles was not eradicated and measles reappeared among vaccinated children. We measured measles-specific antibody from the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups who had experienced apparent measles in the Seongnam city in 1993. The results were as follows. 1) The data included total 126 children (M:F=1 : 1). Age distribution of measles outbreak revealed 6 children in 5yr, 11 in 6yr, 20 in 7yr, 39 in 8yr, 22 in 9yr, 11 in 10yr, 11 in 11yr, and 6 in 12yr. 2) MMR vaccination rate was 78.6%(99/126) in the children who had experienced measles. Positive rate of measles-specific IgM Ab was 80.8% (80/99) among the vaccinated group and among 9E.6.% (25/27) the unvaccinated. 3) Positive rate of measles-specific IgG Ab was 90.9% (90/99) among MMR-vaccinated group, and 85.2% (23/27) in unvaccinated group. In conclusion, measles-specific IgM antibody have been detected more than 1 month in most patients. The relatively high proportion of measles-specific IgM positivity may mean primary vaccine failure. To booster the antibody titers and to prevent measles epidemic in school-aged children, revaccination of measles should be considered.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.533-546
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• 2008

The efficacy of bovine immune sera to correct the calves with failure of passive transfer(FPT) was evaluated. Immune sera were produced from 14 one-year-old Holstein cattle which were inoculated commercial combined viral vaccine, administered by the challenge of some main enteric or respiratory viruses, aseptically filtered and stored at $4^{\circ}C$ before used. After the treatment of bovine immune sera, Mean transfer factor($mg/d{\ell}$, of IgG administered/kg of body weight) was $5.46{\pm}2.74,\;11.17{\pm}1.27,\;1.40{\pm}0.21$ in K-IP, H-IP and K-IV group, respectively. The corrective effect of bovine immune sera to FPT calf without any clinical signs showed that intravenous route was more effective than intraperitoneal administration(P<0.01). FPT calves with severe signs were not effective response to the immunotherapy used and consequently died within 10 days after the treatment. Ten percentage of controls appeared the clinical signs including diarrhea. On the contrary, there were not any clinical signs in K-IP and H-IV group. There was significant increase of the neutralizing titer against bovine viral diarrhea virus and bovine coronavirus as well as of cell population including CD2, CD4, and monocyte in K-IP and H-IV group after the immunotherapy(P<0.05). Also, K-IP and H-IV group showed the successful correction to FPT within one week after the immunotherapy, but controls had kept the FPT two-four weeks even after the same treatment. Consequently, the results were suggesting that the bovine immune sera could be used the corrective tool to young calves with FPT.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.131-140
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• 2001

Objectives : During March-May, 2000, a measles outbreak occurred at Youngduk, Korea. This county is divided into two areas with different historical and socioeconomic background. The outbreak occurred in one of these areas. We conducted a comparative epidemiologic study on the two areas in order to evaluate the factors related to the epidemic. Materials and Methods : We selected two groups, grades 3 and 5 in a primary schools in each area. We investigated outbreak-related factors using parent-questionnaires, the vaccination history from the student's health record and the records concerning the recent measles-outbreak from the local health center. Serologic test on measles-IgG and -IgM antibody was done. Results : The infection rate was 31.5% for the epidemic area and 3.7% for non-the epidemic area according to clinical or serological criteria (p<0.001). No difference was seen in the measles vaccination rate, residence at the time of vaccination or past measles infection history between the two areas. In the epidemic area, the attack rate for the 4-6 year-old MMR booster group(20.5%) was higher than the non-booster group(32.4%), but was not found significantly. Vaccine efficacy was 29.6% in the epidemic area and 87.0% in the non-epidemic area (p<0.001). The IgG level and positive rate were significantly different between the two areas (median 10727 IU/ml, 98.9% in epidemic area; median 346 IU/ml, 85.9% in the non-epidemic area, p<0.001). However, the IgG level and positive rate between the measles-cases and non-cases were not significantly different. Conclusions : This outbreak took place in mostly vaccinated children. These results suggest that a reduction of herd immunity for immunity failure after vaccination may be one of the feasible factors related to the outbreak pattern in the two areas. The results of the IgG level and positive rate suggest that re-establishment of a normal value for IgG level and of a qualitative method for IgG are needed.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.89-99
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• 2001

Objectives : To describe the characteristics of a mumps epidemic in Cheju-do, 1998 and to identify the risk factors associated with mumps infection. Methods : To estimate attack rate, previously collected data from the Nationally Notifiable Communicable Disease Reporting System and School Health Reporting System, temporarily administered by Division of Education. as well as additional surveillance data were used. In order to identify the clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with mumps, we conducted a questionnaire survey in 17 schools (9 elementary, 4 middle, and 4 high schools) among a population that included healthy students. Results : From March 3 to August 31, 2,195 cases of mumps were identified, and patients under 20 years of age accounted for 2,162 cases (attack rate 13.2, 95% CI 12.6-13.7/1,000). The attack rate for the population under 20 years of age was the highest in Nam county (44.7/1,000), nod in the 7-12 years old sub-group(>20.0/1,000). There was no sexual difference. 80.5% and 59.7% of patients presented periauricular and submandibular swelling respectively. Aseptic meningitis was a complication in 2.9% of cases, orchitis in 1.3%, epididymitis in 0.9% and oophoritis in 0.6% respectively. The overall MMR vaccination rate was 59.1% and it decreased in accordance with increasing age. In students aged 10 years old or below, household contact and MMR vaccination status was significantly associated with infection, and only among students with household contact, the risk of one dose MMR(OR=10.22, 95% CI 2.92-35.78) and non-vaccination (OR=11.62, 95% CI 1.96-68.96) was significantly greater when. compared with that of two dose vaccination. Among students aged 11 years old or above, household contact history was significantly associated and MMR vaccination status was not associated. Conclusions : Low vaccination rate and vaccine failure were thought to predispose the population for this large outbreak. To prevent sustained mumps outbreaks, a second MMR vaccination should be encouraged and catch up vaccinations should be given to elderly children who remain susceptible.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.261-266
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• 1999

Vancomycin-resistant enterococcus(VRE) was first isolated from various specimens of patients with renal failure or leukemia in 1988. Thereafter VRE has been increasing gradually and became one of the clinically important palhogenic organisms currently. We experienced a case of E. faecalis sepsis in a 4 day old neonate. She was born at 39 weeks gestational age with 2,900gm weight by Cesarean section delivery due to breech presentation. She had had swelling and motion limitation of the left knee joint with fever for one day at age of 4 day and was transfered to our hospital. Ultrasonographic examination of her left knee joint showed some inflammatory change. E. faecalis was isolated from the blood. The organism showed resistance to vancomycin on drug susceptibility test using BHI agar screening test and disk diffusion method. After treatment with ampicillin-sulbactam for 3 weeks the baby was improved. Although VRE infection has been considered rare in Korea. considerable number of demonstrative studies about VRE isolation have been reported recently thus adequate countermeasures are needed to reduce the emergence and prevent nosocomial spreading of this organism.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.313-324
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• 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which causes serious respiratory illness such as pneumonia and lung failure, was first reported in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei, China. The etiological agent of COVID-19 has been confirmed as a novel coronavirus, now known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is most likely originated from zoonotic coronaviruses, like SARS-CoV, which emerged in 2002. Within a few months of the first report, SARS-CoV-2 had spread across China and worldwide, reaching a pandemic level. As COVID-19 has triggered enormous human casualties and serious economic loss posing global threat, an understanding of the ongoing situation and the development of strategies to contain the virus's spread are urgently needed. Currently, various diagnostic kits to test for COVID-19 are available and several repurposing therapeutics for COVID-19 have shown to be clinically effective. In addition, global institutions and companies have begun to develop vaccines for the prevention of COVID-19. Here, we review the current status of epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and vaccine development for COVID-19.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.427-438
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• 2020

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infects the lower respiratory airway of humans, leading to severe acute respiratory failure. Unlike human dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (hDPP4), a receptor for MERS-CoV, mouse DPP4 (mDPP4) failed to support MERS-CoV infection. Consequently, diverse transgenic mouse models expressing hDPP4 have been developed using diverse methods, although some models show no mortality and/or only transient and mild-to-moderate clinical signs following MERS-CoV infection. Additionally, overexpressed hDPP4 is associated with neurological complications and breeding difficulties in some transgenic mice, resulting in impeding further studies. Here, we generated stable hDPP4-transgenic mice that were sufficiently susceptible to MERS-CoV infection. The transgenic mice showed weight loss, decreased pulmonary function, and increased mortality with minimal perturbation of overexpressed hDPP4 after MERS-CoV infection. In addition, we observed histopathological signs indicative of progressive pulmonary fibrosis, including thickened alveolar septa, infiltration of inflammatory monocytes, and macrophage polarization as well as elevated expression of profibrotic molecules and acute inflammatory response in the lung of MERS-CoV-infected hDPP4-transgenic mice. Collectively, we suggest that this hDPP4-transgenic mouse is useful in understanding the pathogenesis of MERS-CoV infection and for antiviral research and vaccine development against the virus.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.72-76
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• 2016

Infantile osteopetrosis is a rare congenital disorder caused by abnormal bone resorption. Patients with osteopetrosis can have severe anemia, thrombocytopenia, hepatosplenomegaly, rickets, visual impairment, and deafness. Cytomegalovirus also can cause a congenital infection with anemia, thrombocytopenia, hepatosplenomegaly, and calcifications in the brain. We report a 38-day-old infant with severe hepatosplenomegaly, thrombocytopenia, hypocalcemia, and growth failure. Real time polymerase chain reaction detected cytomegalovirus in the plasma. Skeletal radiography revealed generalized bone sclerosis. He was diagnosed with osteopetrosis along with cytomegalovirus infection. Only the test for mutation of the CLCN7 gene, representing the most common and heterogeneous form of osteopetrosis, was available, and the result was negative. With supportive care and antiviral treatment, severe thrombocytopenia due to the cytomegalovirus infection almost normalized despite the possible immunosuppression caused by osteopetrosis. We present the first report of an infant who suffered from osteopetrosis and CMV infection which was successfully treated by long term antiviral agent therapy.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.107-113
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• 2001

Spinal epidural abscess(SEA) is a rare condition in children. Classic symptoms are spinal ache, root pain, weakness and paralysis. The earliest symptoms of SEA in the pediatric age group are nonspecific and variable. Early diagnosis may be almost impossible when local spinal pain is inconspicuous or absent, when toxic epiphenomena divert attention from subtle signs of neurologic dysfunction and when the patient is an acutely distressed and uncooperative child. Failure to diagnosis and treat condition on a timely basis may lead to permanent neurolgic dysfunction or even death. This infection, usually located in the dorsal epidural space of the mid thoracic or lower lumbar regions, is the result of hematogenous dissemination of bacteria, usually Staphylococci, from foci of infection in the skin, or respiratory or urinary tracts. MRI was the diagnostic method of choice. A combination of antibiotics and surgical drainage remains the treatment of choice. Prognosis is excellent if surgery is performed before the development of neurologic deficit. We report a case of SEA in a child whose first presenting symptom was abdominal pain rather than spinal pain. A case is diagnosed by MRI and successfully treated with laminectomy and drainage and antibiotics.