• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.16
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• pp.6825-6830
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• 2015

Opisthorchis viverrini is remains a public health problem in Thailand, particularly in the northeast and north regions which have the highest incidences of chonalgiocarcinoma (CCA). O. viverrini causes the disease opithorchiasis, and its has been classified as a group 1 biological carcinogen. Humans, dogs, and cats become infected with O. viverrini by ingesting raw or undercooked fish containing infective metacercariae. The first human cases of O. viverrini infection were reported in Thailand 100 years ago, and it's still a problem at the community level. Based on data for the year 2009, more than 6 million people were infected with O. viverrini. Associated medical care and loss of wages in Thailand costs about $120 million annually. This review highlights the current status of O. viverrini infection in communities of Thailand through active surveillance for the five years period from 2010 and 2015. A total of 17 community-based surveys were conducted, most in the northeast region. Some 7 surveys demonstrated a high prevalence over 20%, and the highest was 45.7%. Most commonly infection was found in age group of 35 years and older, males, and agricultural workers. Although, the national prevalence may be decreasing but the results show that the O. viverrini infection is still high in communities of the northeast region. Therefore, the focus in populations living in northeast Thailand should be screening of infection and changing their eating behavior.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.179-193
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• 2021

As pets such as dogs and cats have been accepted as family members and companions, calling them companion animals has become more and more common. As the trend of identifying companion animals with humans and treating them as members of a family is spreading, people are more concerned about food, health, and leisure for companion animals, searching for expensive products, and accelerating the growth of related businesses. This study collected data by conducting an online questionnaire targeting customers who visited online companion animal shopping malls. Data collected only for people who have purchased companion animals at least once in online shopping malls for companion animals were used for empirical analysis. Questionnaires from 205 people were collected, but a total of 198 copies were used for the analysis, excluding the questionnaire that gave an insincere response. The results are as follows. First, through exploratory factor analysis, it was confirmed that the service quality factors of the online shopping mall for companion animals consisted of four dimensions: communication-transaction, safe security, design, and information provision. Second, it was found that communication-transactions, information provision, design, and safe security, which are the service quality factors for companion animal online shopping malls, all have a significant positive (+) effect on customer satisfaction. Third, it was confirmed that customer satisfaction in online shopping malls for companion animals had a significant positive (+) effect on loyalty. Fourth, in the relationships between service quality factors (communication transaction, safety security, design, information provision) and loyalty of companion animal online shopping mall, it was confirmed that customer satisfaction has complete mediating effects.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.439-443
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• 1997

While the contents of protein, fat, fiber, sodium, vitamin A, and vitamin D in dry dog food were 22.0%, 7.8%. 5.4%, 0.36%, 2035 IU/100g and 201 IU/100g, respectevely, those in dry cat food were 29.8%, 6.5%, 4.5%, 0.38%, 1543 IU/100g and 163 IU/100g, respectively. Concerning the lipid contents of pet food, the concentration of unsturated fatty acid was slightly higher of dry dog food(59.2%) than that of dry cat food(55.9%), but the differences was statistically not significant. The lipid peroxide concentration in dry dog food after storage in a refrigerator at $4^{\circ}C$ or dark place of room temperture at $20{\pm}2^{\circ}C$ for 30 days(8.0 nmol/g and 7.8 nmol/g) was not different from the value at the beginning of storage. However, upon storage in direct sunlight at $20{\pm}2^{\circ}C$ of room temperture, the concentration increased 4.9-fold(35.5 nmol/g) after 5 days and 10.2-fold(73.6 nmol/g) after 30 days. These results suggest that pet food may be refrigerated or stored in a dark place after unsealing.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.21-26
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• 2014

Dirofilaria immitis (heartworm) infections affect domestic dogs, cats, and various wild mammals with increasing incidence in temperate and tropical areas. More sensitive antibody detection methodologies are required to diagnose asymptomatic dirofilariasis with low worm burdens. Applying current transcriptomic technologies would be useful to discover potential diagnostic markers for D. immitis infection. A filarial homologue of the mammalian translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) was initially identified by screening the assembled transcriptome of D. immitis (DiTCTP). A BLAST analysis suggested that the DiTCTP gene shared the highest similarity with TCTP from Loa loa at protein level (97%). A histidine-tagged recombinant DiTCTP protein (rDiTCTP) of 40 kDa expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) showed immunoreactivity with serum from a dog experimentally infected with heartworms. Localization studies illustrated the ubiquitous presence of rDiTCTP protein in the lateral hypodermal chords, dorsal hypodermal chord, muscle, intestine, and uterus in female adult worms. Further studies on D. immitis-derived TCTP are warranted to assess whether this filarial protein could be used for a diagnostic purpose.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.177-184
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is surveyed diagnostic radiography (DR) examination in veterinary hospital (VC) including non-ionization radiation such as ultra-sonography and magnetic resonance imaging. From June 1 to June 20. 2021, we surveyed the VC in 00 metropolitan city by using a structural questionnaire which are location of VC and X-ray unit et al.. Data are expressed as a mean with standard deviation for continuous variable or percent for categorical variable using SPSS ver. 26.0. As the first animal to be visited, dogs were the highest with 61.9%, followed by cats with 12.9%. In 87.1% fo cases, DR units were used, and 4 VCs did not. In 27 VCs using DR units, 48.1% separated examination room and control room, 19.8% examined in animal visited, protective clothing was in all VCs, 55.6% were measured radiation exposure dose, 92.6% was responded a necessary for examination education. From the above results, it will help to revise the guidelines for DR units and examination in korea VCs.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.15-19
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• 2004

The emergence of bacterial resistance to antibiotics during therapy is a matter of great problem in clinical medicine. This may be because many veterinarians have used inappropriate antibiotics without bacteriological culture. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine isolation of anaerobic bacteria as pathogens from veterinary clinical specimens as well as susceptibility pattern for choosing antibiotics. Various anaerobic bacteria were isolated from clinical specimens of dogs, cats, rabbits at Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of Seoul National University from May 2001 to October 2002. The total number of isolated anaerobic bacteria was 13 isolates; Bacteroides spp. (3 isolates), Fusobacterium spp. (2 isolates), Peptostreptococcus spp. (2 isolates), Porphyromonas gingivalis (2 isolates), Prevotella spp. (3 isolates), and Propionibacterium acnes (1 isolate). For evaluating the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the isolates disk diffusion method was used. All isolates were susceptable to all tested antibiotics except only one Fusobacterium varium was resistant to norfloxacin.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 2004

Bacteria that are resistant to several different groups of antibiotics have increased during the past few years. The importance of surveillance of antimicrobial resistance is now widely recognized. Unfortunately, this development has not been documented continuously in veterinary medicine in Korea. Therefore, the clinical prevalence and trend of antimicrobial susceptibility of aerobic isolates were investigated in this study. Total 121 isolates of aerobic bacteria were isolated from clinical specimens of dogs and cats at Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of Seoul National University from May 2001 to October 2002. Among them, the most common isolated species was Staphylococcus spp. (48 isolates), followed by E.coli (26 isolates), Enterococcus spp. (21 isolates), Klebsiella pneumoniae (9 isolates), Streptococcus spp. (6 isolates), Enterobacter cloacae (3 isolates), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3 isolates), Corynebacterium xerosis (2 isolates), Chryseomonas spp. (2 isolates), and Providencia stuartii (1 isolate). The susceptibility of isolates to antibiotics was determined by the disk diffusion method. Gram-positive bacterial isolates were showed high susceptibilities to amikacin, amoxacillin/clavulanate, ceftazidime, and oxacillin, while Gram-negative bacterial isolates were showed high susceptibilities to amikacin and ceftazidime. Staphylococcus spp. were showed high susceptibilities to amikacin, amoxicillin/clavulanate, ceftazidime, cephalothin, and oxacillin. Streptococcus spp. and E.coli were showed high susceptibilities to amikacin and ceftazidime. Of the 48 staphylococci, seven Methicillin Resistant staphylococci were observed (14.6%), distributed among S. auricularis (1), S. hemolyticus (2), S. sciuri (1), S. saprophyticus (1), S. warneri (2) isolates. One strain of E.coli and one strain of Corynebacterium xerosis were resistant to all antibiotics tested. And, resistance trends between the you 2000 (from July 1999 to September 2000) and 2002 (from May 2001 to October 2002) were compared. Resistance to antibiotics was increased in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial isolates (p＜ 0.05). The resistance rates of Staphylococcus spp., E.coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae to all antibiotics tested were also increased (p＜0.05). This study investigated increasing resistance between the year 2000 and 2002 in Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of Seoul National University. Surveillance resistance is helpful to alert to veterinarian and select of appropriate therapy. Antimicrobial susceptibility surveillance of isolates should urgently be continued in veterinary medicine.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.439-445
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• 2017

In recent years, change in life patterns gave rise to an increase in the number of families with companion animals, and as a result, frequent dermatophytes infections have been reported. Microsporum canis, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Trichophyton verrucosum, are among these species of zoophilic dermatophytes. Trichophyton mentagrophytes are transmitted to humans by contact with wild animals. Infection from it causes strong inflammation in humans. Conversely, Trichophyton verrucosum is transmitted by contact with cattles. Microsporum canis will become latent carriers in cats or dogs, causing infectious diseases when it comes in contact with humans. We investigated zoophilic dermatophytes isolated according to annual, sex, age, season, body sites, and clinical types between 2010 and 2016. According to our results, the isolation rate of zoophilic dermatophytes was 0.37%, among which, 88 T. mentagrophytes, 228 Microsporum canis, and 18 Trichophyton verrucosum were isolated in human. It is interesting to note that Microsporum canis has been on the rise since 2014. Microsporum canis and Trichophyton verrucosum were highly isolated in females, but T. mentagrophytes was isolated similarly in both sexes. According to an age-based survey, the isolation rate was higher in children younger than 10 years. Our results is a valuable data for predicting and studying the isolation of zoophilic dermatophytes in the future.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.44-65
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• 1983

As a part of the epidemiological studies of clonorchiasis, this study was conducted to evaluate the current endemicity and the natural transition of the Clonorchis infection in Gimhae Gun and delta area a high endemic area in Korea in recent years, prior to the introduction of praziquantel which will eventually influence the status of the prevalence. The data obtained in this study in 1983 were evaluated for natural transition of the infection in comparison with those obtained 16 years ago in 1967 by the author(Kim, 1974). The areas of investigation, villages and schools surveyed, methods and techniques used in this study were the same as in 1967, except for the contents of the questionnaire for raw freshwater fish consumption by the local inhabitants. 1) The prevalence rate of clonorchiasis in the general population of the villages was 48.1% on the average out of a total of 484 persons examined. The average of those of the riverside-delta area was 65.2% and 43.0% in the inland area. Among the schoolchildren, the prevalence rate was 8.2% on the average out of a total of 1,423 examined. By area, the prevalence rate was 10.8% in the riverside delta area and 2.8% in the inland area. By sex, difference in the prevalence was seen only in the inhabitants of the inland area showing 52.4% in the male and 33.5% in the female. 2) In the natural transition of the infection, the prevalence rate among the inhabitants has decreased from 68.8% in 1967 to 48.1% in 1983, and in the schoolchildren from 56.4% in 1967 to 8.2% in 1983. The reduction rate was higher in the riverside-delta area than in the inland area. 3) In the prevalence rate by age, 11.9% was first seen in the 5-9 age group and the rate gradually increased up to 75.0% in the 50-59 age group. By sex, the rate was higher in the male than in the female in the 20-29 age group and over. 4) In the natural transition of the prevalence rate by age, the reduction rate of the infection during the past 16 years was greater in the younger age groups up to the 40-49 age group and reached the same level in the age group 50-59. Reduction was seen again in the age group over 60s. By sex, the reduction rate was greater in the female than in the male in the 20-29 age group and over. By area, the reduction rate was greater in the riverside delta area than in the inland area, particularly in the young age groups. 5) In the intensity of the infection among the cases, the mean egg out-put per mg feces per infected cases(EPmg) in the inhabitants was 6.3. EPmg of those of the river-side-delta area was 15.4 and that of the in-land was 2.8. On the other hand, in the schoolchildren, EPmg was 3.2, and no difference was seen between the two areas, the river-side-delta area and the inland area. 6) In the transition of the intensity of the infection by area, EPmg among the inhabitants inexplically increased from 7.8 in 1967 to 15.4 in 1983. This was probably caused by uneven specimen collection in the process of sampling the population. EPmg of the inhabitants in the inland area and those of the schoolchildren of both riverside delta and inland areas showed a similar decrease in the past 16 years. 7) The intensity of the infection by age showed a relatively low level in the 20-29 age group and below, and EPmg 5.1-9.5 was seen in the 30-39 age group and over. Sex, Epmg was 5.8 in the male and 4.7 the female. By in 8) In the transition of the intensity of the infection, EPmg decreased from 6.2 in 1967 to 5.4 in 1983. By age, in contrast to the figures of 1967 in which EPmg gradually increased with some fluctuation from 1.1 in the 0-4 age group to peak 10.5 in the 50-59 age group, in 1983 lower intensity of the infection was seen in the age group from 10-14 to 20-29 with the EPmg range of 0.6-2.7. 9) In the distribution of the clonorchiasis cases by the range of EPmg value, 43.2% of the cases were in 0.1 0.9 and 34.6% in 1.0-4.9. As a whole by cumulative percent, 44.6% of them were under 0.9 as light infection and 86.1% of them under 9.9 up to moderate infection. By sex, no difference was seen in Epmg. 10) In the transition of the distribution by the range of Epmg, the cases were distributed up to the range 80.0-99.9 in 1967 and to 60.0-79.9 in 1983. By cumulative percent, in the range of 0.1-0.9 and less, light infection, 34.3% of them were distributed in 1967 and 44.6% in 1983 with about 10% increase. In the range of 5.0-9.9 and less, up to moderate infection, 83.2% in 1967 and 86.1% in 1983 of the cases were seen, respectively. 11) The practice of raw freshwater fish consumption among the inhabitants seems to have decreased in recent years. Those who admitted to raw freshwater fish consumption in the last two years among the infected inhabitants were 59.3%, although 86.8% of them professed to have experience with raw freshwater fish consumption. 31.7% of those who have had experience of the raw freshwater fish consumption denied any further consumption in recent years. From an interview of 543 school-children, 24.1% of them admitted to an experience of raw freshwater fish consumption. However, those who have practised in the past two years comprized 17.9%. Those who denied raw freshwater fish consumption in recent years among those who had such experience were 26.0% out of 131 interviewed. The rate of raw freshwater fish consumption in both inhabitants and schoolchildren were higher in the male than in the female. On the contrary, the rate of those who did not practise in recent years among those who had experience of raw freshwater fish consumption was higher in the female than in the male. 12) The major reason for the reduction of raw freshwater fish consumption among the local inhabitants was the risk of the fluke infection. However, it has become apparent that such change of taste has resulted from water pollution impact which has affected throughout the areas of the freshwater systems in this locality since last several years. 13) In animal survey, Clonorchis infection was seen in 14.8% of 88 dogs examined and 3.7% of 27 house rats examined. It was noted that populations of dogs and cats have increased in the villages surveyed. Although the prevalence rate was lower in the present survey than those of 1967, the significance of the animals as the reservoir host has not changed. 14) Prevalence rate of Clonorchis infection by cercariae in the first intermediate host, Parafossarulus manchouricus, was 0.6% out of 517 snails examined. The infection rate was lower in comparison with 2.3% out of 2,124 examined in 1967. Moreover, sharp decreases in number and distribution of the intermediate host snails in many watershed areas of the huge freshwater systems in this locality seemed to reduce transmission of Clonorchis in connection with the intermediate host stage of its life cycle. 15) Clonorchis infection in the second intermediate fish hosts was relatively low. The mean number of Clonorchis metacercaria per fish in Pseudorasbora parva was 517 in 1983, whereas it was 1943 in 1968 through 1969. Environmental water pollution has also caused the decreased fish population density in these areas, and this has also apparently affected to the practice of raw freshwater fish consumption among the local inhabitants. 16) In conclusion, endemicity of Clonorchis infection in Gimhae Gum and delta area of the Nagdong River has sharply decreased during the past 16 years. The major cause of the regressive transition of the infection was the water pollution of the land water systems of this locality. The pollution has upset the ecosystems comprizing of the intermediate hosts of Clonorchis in many areas, and also affected to a significant extent to the discontinuance of the local inhabitants for raw freshwater fish consumption.