The aim of this study is to characterize the epidemiological features of typhoid fever, categorized as class 1 notifiable disease in Korea and to analyze the recent change of antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi isolated nationwide. We retrospectively analyzed the 1,692 culture-proven cases from 1992 to 2000, using the data of the Korean National Institute of Health. The overall incidence of culture-proven typhoid fever was 0.41 per 100,000 population. It occurred all over the country, but the southeastern part of Korean peninsula had the higher incidence rate than other areas. There were several outbreaks suspected, of which two outbreaks were confirmed. The resistance rate against chloramphenicol showed mild increase, but the ampicillin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, kanamycin, or nalidixic acid resistance remained at the similar levels for the past 9 yr. There were 21 (1.3%) multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains isolated since 1992, and the number of those has increased. Two strains resistant to ciprofloxacin were first identified in Korea.
Ampicillin/pharmacology ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; Chloramphenicol/pharmacology ; *Drug Resistance, Microbial ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; Human ; Kanamycin/pharmacology ; Korea ; Nalidixic Acid/pharmacology ; Retrospective Studies ; Salmonella Infections/*epidemiology ; Salmonella enterica/*metabolism ; Seasons ; Serotyping ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Time Factors ; Trimethoprim/pharmacology

Cutaneous metastases of malignant tumors are relatively rare, and breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women with cutaneous metastases. Since newly developed cutaneous lesions can be the first signs of metastases in breast cancer patients, it is crucial to rule out the possibility of malignancy. Although only a few cases have been reported, breast cancer contributes to a large portion of scalp metastases. This case report demonstrates a rare case of breast cancer metastasis only confined to the scalp. The patient was a 55-year-old woman who was diagnosed with scalp metastasis from breast cancer 10 years after the first curative surgery. The scalp lesion was palpable for 4 years and showed a sudden increase in size over a few months. The patient underwent wide excision with flap coverage. After surgery the patient received radiotherapy, but she has refused additional hormonal therapy. To date, there is no evidence of disease recurrence.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence ; Scalp Dermatoses ; Scalp*

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) caused by the SFTS virus (SFTSV), a novel Phlebovirus, is endemic to South Korea, central and northeastern China, and western Japan. SFTS poses a threat to public health because of its high mortality and secondary transmission. Ticks and domestic animals are hosts for SFTSV in endemic areas. There is no specific treatment for SFTS, and avoiding tick bites is the best way to prevent infection. Early therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is a rescue therapy in patients with rapidly progressive SFTS. Here, we present a patient with SFTS who was improving on TPE but died suddenly due to acute lung injury after TPE.

Purpose: Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) causes respiratory tract infections. Its non-vaccine serotypes and multidrug-resistant pneumococcal diseases have increased during the post-pneumococcal vaccination era. Therefore, it is important to understand the regional and age-related antimicrobial susceptibility of S. pneumoniae to select appropriate empirical antimicrobials. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively studied trends in the antimicrobial resistance of S. pneumoniae to commonly prescribed antibiotics in patient groups of various ages at a single teaching hospital in Jeju Island from 2009 to 2018. Results: In total, 1460 S. pneumoniae isolates were obtained during the study period. The overall antimicrobial resistance rates of S. pneumoniae to penicillin, erythromycin, ceftriaxone, levofloxacin, and vancomycin were 16.2%, 84.7%, 25.9%, 3.3%, and 0.0%, respectively, and the MDR rate was 6.7%. Erythromycin and ceftriaxone resistance rates increased by years; however, they were significantly reduced in adult groups. Levofloxacin resistance and MDR rates were also higher in adult groups. Overall, the MDR rate significantly increased during the recent 10 years, as well as in patients with a history of hospitalization within 90 days [odds ratio (OR)=3.58, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.91–6.71] and sinusitis (OR=4.98, 95% CI=2.07–11.96). Conclusion Erythromycin and ceftriaxone resistance rates and the MDR rate of S. pneumoniae significantly increased during the recent 10 years; the trends in individual antimicrobial resistance rates significantly differed between the age groups. This study indicates the need for caution when using ceftriaxone as an empirical antimicrobial against pneumococcal infections.

We compared the serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae between the pre-pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV)13 era and post-PCV13 era among homogenous inhabitants of an isolated South Korean island. A total of 325 S. pneumoniae strains were isolated. In the pre-PCV13 era, 19A/F, 15A/F, 19B, and 23A serotypes were identified. In the post-PCV13 era, 15 serotypes were identified. The 19F and 23A serotypes showed the highest prevalence in the pre- and post-PCV13 era, respectively. After PCV13 introduction, the PCV 13 serotype coverage rate was decreased (80.0% and 30.5% in the pre- and post-PCV13 eras, respectively), while the proportion of non-PCV 13 serotypes increased.

Background: Jeju island had the seventh highest incidence rate of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) but showed the lowest case fatality rate among 17 provinces of Korea, which may be associated with comorbidities and geographic differences. This study aimed to analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with COVID-19 and evaluate the risk factors for severe COVID-19 in Jeju island, Korea. Materials and Methods: All patients with COVID-19 admitted between February 20, 2020, and June 19, 2021, at a single center were retrospectively enrolled in this study. The severity of illness was defined using five categories (asymptomatic, mild, moderate, severe, and critical) according to the National Institute of Health criteria. Then, patients with severe and critical illness were grouped into a severe group, whereas patients with asymptomatic, mild, and moderate illness were grouped into a non-severe group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed using risk factors that were found to be significantly associated with the severe group. Results: This study included 348 patients with a median age was 57 years, and 37.5% were aged 60 or older. Among them, 43.4% were male and 10.9% were asymptomatic, whereas 41.4%, 33.9%, 12.9%, and 1.1% had mild, moderate, severe, and critical illness. The all-cause mortality of patients with COVID-19 was 0.28% (1/348). Among confirmed patients with COVID-19, exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was mainly within Jeju island (75.9%). The mean body mass index was 24.09 ± 4.04 kg/m 2 , the median comorbidity index score was low in each group (0 in asymptomatic; 1 in mild; 1 in moderate; 1 in severe; and 2 in critical group, P <0.548). In the multivariable analysis, male sex [odds ratio (OR), 6.37; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.69 – 15.13; P <0.001], ≥65 years of age (OR, 2.68; 95% CI, 1.18 – 6.10; P <0.019), chronic pulmonary disease (OR, 6.10; 95% CI, 1.40 – 26.61; P = 0.016), and length of fever duration (OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.19 – 1.49; P <0.001) were independently associated with severe COVID-19. Conclusion The most relevant risk factors of COVID-19 severity were male sex, older age, underlying chronic lung diseases, and duration of fever during hospitalization. The risk factors for severe COVID-19 were not significantly different from those reported in other studies. However, a lower proportion of the older population among confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases might contribute to the lower fatality rate than the national rate.