• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2005.10a
• /
• pp.477-477
• /
• 2005

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.31-39
• /
• 2004

This study was performed to investigate the rabies surveillance in Gangwon-do from 1997 to 2001. Of 185 laboratory submissions for rabies diagnosis, 65(35.1%) cases were determined to be infected with the rabies virus. Annual incidence of animal rabies was 10 cases in 1997, 20 cases in 1998, 16 cases in 1999, 3 cases in 2000, and 16 cases in 2001, respectively. The total number of the reported cases were increased 382% compared with that of the previous period from 1993 to 1996(7 cases). The relative contributions of infected animals in this period were as follows: cattles(24 cases), dogs(26 cases), and raccoons(15 cases). Rabies outbreak in raccoon were steadily expanded. Epidemiologic surveillance showed the rabies outbreaks spreaded to the southern area in Gangwon-do. All rabies cases were showed positive results to rabies tests such as clinical signs, histopathological findings, indirect flourescent antibody test, and mouse inoculation test. Further studies such as genetic and phylogenetic analysis of the isolates should be performed in order to figure out accurate rabies outbreak.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.135-149
• /
• 2001

Purpose : To describe the characteristics of the claims for compensation and the methodology of investigations concerning adverse events following immunization(AEFI) and epidemiologic characteristics of the AEFI. From these results, to give a suggestion for improving AEFI surveillance system, consequently to stabilize National Immunization Program. Methods : Totally 61 cases were reported to the National Compensation Program and surveillance system of AEFI from 1995 to 2000. Documents from National Compensation Program, medical records and epidemiologic investigation reports of the cases were collected and analyzed. Results : The number of reported cases was 12 in 1995, 3 in 1996, 12 in 1998, 5 in 1999, and 29 in 2000, respectively. That of deaths was 24(39.3%) and 16 cases among them were autopsied(66.7%). That of claims for compensation was 36 and 17 cases among them were compensated(47.2%). The proportion of claim was lower in 1999~2000 than in 1995~1998, but proportion of compensation increased. Although proportion of investigation was lower in 1999~2000 than in 1995~1998, cases which were not epidemiologically investigated, decreased. The epidemiologic investigation launched within 24 hours after report increased from 25% in 1995~1998 to 48.3% in 1999~2000. Among reported cases, the number of boys was 31(50.8%), and 75.4% of subjects were from 2 months to 24 months old. 78.4% of adverse events occurred within one week after immunization. Conclusion : We can find that surveillance system of AEFI and quality of epidemiologic investigation has been somewhat improved. But, it seems that severe cases were more frequently reported than moderate or mild cases, and reporting rate was lower than that of other developed countries. We could not identify the detailed epidemiologic characteristics of AEFI due to these limitation of data. To achieve the stabilization of National Immunization Program, reporting rate and the quality of investigation should be improved.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 1994.02a
• /
• pp.651-657
• /
• 1994

To assess quantitatively the association between benzene exposure and leukemia, we examined the mortality rate of a cohort with occupational exposure to benzene. Cumulative exposure for each cohort member was estimated from historical air-sampling data and, when no sampling data existed, from interpolation on the basis of existing data. The overall standardized mortality ratio (a measure of relative risk multiplied by 100) for leukemia was 337 (95 percent confidence interval, 154 to 641), and that for multiple myeloma was 409 (95 percent confidence interval, 110 to 1047). With stratification according to levels of cumulative exposure, the standardized mortality ratios for leukemia increased from 109 to 322, 1186, and 6637 with increases in cumulative benzene exposure from less than 40 parts per million-years (ppm-years), to 40 to 199, 200 to 399, and 400 or more. respectively. A cumulative benzene exposure of 400 ppm years is equivalent to a mean annual exposure of 10 ppm over a 40-year working lifetime; 10 ppm is the currently enforceable standard in the United States for occupational exposure to benzene. To examine the shape of the exposure-response relation, we performed a conditional logistic-regression analysis, in which 10 controls were matched to each cohort member with leukemia. From this model, it can be calculated that protection from benzene induced leukemia would increase exponentially with any reduction in the permissible exposure limit.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2002.10a
• /
• pp.534-534
• /
• 2002

• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.332-338
• /
• 2021

Background: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is one of the most painful disorder in the orofacial region, and many patients have suffered from this disease. For the effective management of TN, fundamental epidemiologic data related to the target population group are essential. Thus, this study was performed to clarify the epidemiological characteristics of TN in the Korean population. This is the first national study to investigate the prevalence of TN in Korean patients. Methods: From 2014 to 2018, population-based medical data for 51,276,314 subscribers to the National Health Insurance Service of Korea were used for this study. Results: The incidence of TN was 100.21 per 100,000 person-years in the year of 2018 in Korea, and the male to female ratio was 1:2.14. The age group of 51-59 years had the highest prevalence of TN. Constant increases in medical cost, regional imbalance, and differences in prescription patterns by the medical specialties were showed in the management of TN. Conclusions: The results in this study will not only help to study the characteristics of TN, but also serve as an important basis for the effective management of TN in Korea.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.138-150
• /
• 2022

Background: Epidemiology is a fundamental study of public health, including environmental health, since the features and causes of diseases discovered through epidemiology provide crucial information for developing successful disease prevention strategies. Objectives: This paper tried to define the role and function of epidemiologic research in the field of environmental health, summarize examples of epidemiological studies with regard to selected environmental health events in South Korea, and address important issues that should be considered when conducting epidemiological research in the future. Methods: Epidemiological studies of selected environmental health events were reviewed and summarized in terms of their contribution to environmental health in South Korea. Based on the information, important issues were suggested for future epidemiological studies in environmental health. Results: The role and function of epidemiologic research in the field of environmental health includes the systematic description of the health effects caused by environmental exposure, verification of the causal relationship between environmental exposure and health effects, and provision of background data for conducting prevention strategies and developing policies. A number of epidemiological studies have contributed to characterizing and assessing the environmental risks involved in a series of environmental health events in South Korea. Conclusions: Important issues for future epidemiological studies may include health effects from chronic low-level environmental exposure, application of analytical epidemiology to elucidate causal relationships, use of exposure/disease/susceptibility biomarkers, accurate reconstruction of past exposure status, cohort recruitment and long-term follow-up, and in-advance surveillance of diseases with environmental causes.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.230-238
• /
• 2013

Objectives: For our survey of the incidence of influenza viruses among respiratory viral infections in Seoul, we evaluated their prevalence among infectious acute respiratory viral patients in Seoul from 2010 to 2012 through regular surveillance. Methods: For influenza virus detection, we conducted real-time PCR analyses on 2,544 throat specimens collected from patients with respiratory viral infections in Seoul between 2010 and 2012. They were collected and then tested for the presence of influenza viruses through reverse transcription (RT) - polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: 19.1% (486/2,544) of the throat specimens were determined to be positive for influenza viruses. The incidences of influenza viral infection in the case of respiratory viral infections through regular surveillance in Seoul were 23.0% (212/923) in 2010, 6.4% (47/738) in 2011, and 25.7% (227/883) in 2012, and 10.8% (275/2,544) of type A, and 8.3% (211/2,544) type B influenza viruses. In addition, the greatest prevalence was in the 20-49 age group (51.6% ), which shows that influenza viruses constituted a major causative agent of acute respiratory viral infections. Conclusions: The distributions of influenza viruses and the epidemiologic patterns of the viral pathogen in acute respiratory viral infectious patients may provide potentially effective data for epidemiological studies in Seoul, Korea.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.57-65
• /
• 2012

Objectives: For our survey of the incidence of norovirus infections and the genogroup distribution of norovirus in Seoul, Republic of Korea, we evaluated through regular surveillance the prevalence of norovirus infections in patients with acute gastroenteritis occurring in Seoul from January 2007 to July 2011. Methods: For norovirus detection, we conducted epidemiological analyses on the basis of the junction of ORF1 and ORF2 (approximately 314 bp). 11,202 fecal specimens were collected from patients in Seoul with acute gastroenteritis between January 2007 and July 2011 and then tested for the presence of NoV via reverse transcription (RT) - polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: 16.6% (1,861/11,202) of the fecal specimens were determined to be positive for noroviruses. The incidences of norovirus infection in Seoul in the case of acute gastroenteritis with regular surveillance were 28.0% in 2007, 14.6% in 2008, 9.1% in 2009, 14.1% in 2010, and 12.9% in 2011, which shows that noroviruses constituted a major causative agent of acute gastroenteritis. Also, the incidence of noroviral infection in patients with acute gastroenteritis increased after the large-scale new influenza in 2009. Conclusions: The genetic characteristics of norovirus and the epidemiologic patterns of a viral pathogen in acute gastroenteritis patients may provide potentially effective data for epidemiological studies in Seoul, Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.281-284
• /
• 1994

On .lune and .truly 1994, two cases of vivax wl,Blaria were consecutively diagnosed at the Yongsan Hospital, Chung-Ang University in Seoul. The first patient was a soldier sewing in western parts of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) while the second case was a resident of a village near DMZ. Neither patients had history of being abroad. Republic of Korea (ROK) has been free of malaria since the mid-1970s except for imported cases. The two ivfn malaria cases, together with an additional patient detected in 1993, occurred in relatively small areas near DMZ. This necessitated an epidemiologic surveillance. When medical records and blood smears in the areas were examined, no other cases were found. Of 7,723 mosquitoes collected by a black light trap for ho nights in June, 7,066 (91.5%) were Anopheles sinensis. In order to evaluate a significance of the recent malaria occurrence, a surveillance system should be operated in the areas.