Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; prevention & control ; China ; Humans ; Infectious Disease Medicine ; methods ; trends

Biomedical Research ; Child ; China ; Cytomegalovirus Infections ; diagnosis ; Diarrhea ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Hepatitis ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Hepatitis B ; transmission ; Humans ; Infectious Disease Medicine ; classification ; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical ; prevention & control ; Pediatrics ; classification

Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of human immunodefi ciency virus (HIV) is a devastating consequence of HIV infection during pregnancy and is largely preventable. Evidence-based interventions such as universal antenatal screening, provision of antiretroviral therapy, delivery by elective caesarean section and avoidance of breastfeeding have ensured that the rates of MTCT remain low in Malaysia. This review discusses the most recent advances in the management of HIV infection in pregnancy with emphasis on antiretroviral treatment strategies and obstetric care in a middle income country.
Anti-HIV Agents ; therapeutic use ; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active ; Breast Feeding ; Cesarean Section ; Child ; Evidence-Based Medicine ; Female ; HIV Infections ; drug therapy ; transmission ; Humans ; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical ; prevention & control ; Malaysia ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious ; drug therapy

Adult ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; therapy

This article is based on conceptual and methodological understanding of hygienic modernity in the nineteenthcentury Western countries: one is the concept of modern hygiene in the context of modern state and the other is methodological relation of modern hygiene to scientific theory of germ. While modern state calls for the institutionalization of medical police as an administrative tool for consolidating the governmentality what Michel Foucault calls, scientific 'invention' of germ may be considered as 'logical, philosophical and historiographical.' Furthermore, the Meiji medicine men preferred Koch's to Pasteur's laboratory framework, not because the former was scientific than the latter but because Koch's programs were more compatible with imperial needs. The objective of this paper is to investigate four ways in which hygienic modernity had been established in Meiji Japan; (i) how Meiji imperialists perceived and managed to control Japanese hygienic condition, (ii) how Meijileading doctors learned about the German modern system of hygiene to consolidate Meiji empire; (iii) how modern germ theory functioned as the formation of imperial bodies in Meiji period; and (iv) how modern military hygiene contributed to Japanese defeat of Russia. Although I try to contend that modern hygiene was adopted as one of the most significant strategies for intensifying and extending the Meiji empire, this paper has some limits in not identifying how Japanese perception of infectious diseases were culturally adaptive to sciencebased hygienic programs the Meiji administrators had installed.
Communicable Diseases/*history ; Disease Transmission, Infectious/*history ; Germany ; History, 19th Century ; History, 20th Century ; Hygiene/*history ; Japan ; Philosophy, Medical ; Public Health Administration/*history ; State Medicine/*history

The purpose of the study was to collect the opinions of doctors who are specialists in infectious disease with regard to the current method used for isolation of patients with group 1 nationally notifiable infectious diseases in Korea. A web-based survey was conducted from June 27 to July 7, 2011. Relevant questions included: 1) adequacy of the current policy of forced hospital isolation; evaluation of current guidelines for release from hospital isolation; and 3) priority for policy switching from forced hospital isolation to home isolation. The rate of response to the survey was 28.4% (40 out of 140). First, the majority of infectious disease specialists in Korea believed that the current method of forced hospital isolation for patients with group 1 infectious diseases should be changed to the home isolation method. Second, if the Korean government changes its policy to home isolation, the top priority of the policy switch would be typhoid fever, followed by paratyphoid fever, shigellosis, cholera, and EHEC (enterohemorigic Escherichia coli). Regarding current guidelines for release from hospital isolation, in cases of shigellosis, EHEC, and hepatitis A, the majority of respondents supported the current guidelines, while they were not able to make collective opinions in cases of cholera and typhoid/paratyphoid fever. We were able to confirm that the majority of specialists want to change the current isolation method. Therefore, the Korean government should consider switching their policy from forced hospital isolation to home isolation.
Cholera ; Communicable Diseases ; Dysentery, Bacillary ; Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli ; Escherichia ; Fever ; Hepatitis A ; Humans ; Infectious Disease Medicine ; Korea ; Paratyphoid Fever ; Specialization ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Typhoid Fever

For over 100 years, controlled human infection (CHI) studies have been performed to advance the understanding of the pathogenesis, treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. This methodology has seen a resurgence, as it offers an efficient model for selecting the most promising agents for further development from available candidates. CHI studies are utilised to bridge safety and immunogenicity testing and phase II/III efficacy studies. However, as this platform is not currently utilised in Asia, opportunities to study therapeutics and vaccines for infections that are important in Asia are missed. This review examines the regulatory differences for CHI studies between countries and summarises other regulatory differences in clinical trials as a whole. We found that the regulations that would apply to CHI studies in Singapore closely mirror those in the United Kingdom, and conclude that the regulatory and ethical guidelines in Singapore are compatible with the conduct of CHI studies.
Asia ; Clinical Trials as Topic ; economics ; standards ; Communicable Disease Control ; Communicable Diseases ; epidemiology ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Ethics, Medical ; Health Policy ; Humans ; Infectious Disease Medicine ; legislation & jurisprudence ; standards ; Quarantine ; Research Design ; standards ; Singapore ; United Kingdom

No abstract available.
Antiviral Agents/*therapeutic use ; Cross Infection/diagnosis/*prevention & control/transmission/virology ; Evidence-Based Medicine/standards ; Humans ; Infection Control/*standards ; Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional/prevention & control ; Infectious Disease Transmission, Professional-to-Patient/prevention & control ; Influenza Vaccines/*administration & dosage ; Influenza, Human/diagnosis/*prevention & control/transmission/virology ; Occupational Health Services/*standards ; Risk Factors ; *Seasons ; Vaccination/*standards

The Korean Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases (KSPID) has participated in the task force team consisting of government authorities as well as civil medical experts and facilities to block the spread of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in 2015. KSPID posted the "Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) Pop-up" in the homepage of The Korean Pediatric Society and The Korean Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. KSPID also released the "Guidelines for testing for MERS in children and adolescents" and the "Instructions for the Operation of National Safe Hospital" for children and adolescents in a timely manner. Such actions were aimed to prevent unnecessary anxieties, studies and isolation of pediatric patients with respiratory symptoms and signs caused by other common microbial etiologies as being suspected for MERS patients. This strategy relieved the doctors and parents from unnecessary fear and prevented the loss of unnecessary health care costs, and has proven to be a well-judged guideline and management protocol as evaluated after the final end of MERS outbreak. KSPID and its members should support the presence of pediatric infectious disease (PID) specialists in every medium size hospitals in Korea by developing the need for consultation fees for PID consultation in the hospital based practice and promoting the potential for cost savings related to prevention of health care associated infections and optimal prescription of antimicrobial agents. KSPID and its members need to approach and develop a communication plan to political decision makers to demonstrate and convince them of the importance of a PID specialist service.
Adolescent ; Advisory Committees ; Anti-Infective Agents ; Anxiety ; Child ; Communicable Diseases* ; Cost Savings ; Delivery of Health Care ; Fees and Charges ; Health Care Costs ; Humans ; Infectious Disease Medicine ; Korea* ; Middle East* ; Parents ; Pediatrics ; Prescriptions ; Republic of Korea ; Specialization

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the inconveniences and potential improvements in the use of orphan drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases, as determined by a survey of medical professionals. METHODS: An email was sent twice to the members of the Korean Society for Chemotherapy, and an online survey was conducted. The data collected were analyzed in terms of the frequency of drug use and associated difficulties as well as the scope for improvement. RESULTS: A total of 77 medical professionals participated in this survey. Rabies vaccine (n = 52), rabies immunoglobulin (n = 47), and foscarnet injection (n = 43) were supplied mainly through the Korea Orphan Drug Center (KODC), while artesunate (n = 29), quinine sulfate capsule (n = 24), quinine dihydrochloride injection (n = 23), and quinidine gluconate injection (n = 21) were supplied mainly through the National Medical Center (NMC). Difficulties in obtaining orphan drugs through the KODC were related to the KODC drug retrieval system (n = 67, 95.7% of respondents), lack of supplies on holidays (n = 66, 94.3%), complicated application procedures and documents (n = 61, 87.1%), and shipping inconveniences (n = 61, 87.1%). With regard to the use of orphan drugs supplied through the NMC, 52 participants (98.1%) responded that a staff visit should be mandatory for obtaining the drugs. CONCLUSIONS: Antivirals and antimalarial drugs are major orphan drugs used for the treatment of rare infections. It is necessary to establish a more efficient system to ensure a stable supply of orphan drugs, including on holidays, to enhance the smart drug searching system, and to simplify related administrative procedures.
Antimalarials ; Antiviral Agents ; Child ; Child, Orphaned* ; Communicable Diseases* ; Drug Therapy ; Electronic Mail ; Equipment and Supplies ; Foscarnet ; Holidays ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Infectious Disease Medicine ; Korea ; Orphan Drug Production* ; Quinidine ; Quinine ; Rabies ; Rabies Vaccines ; Rare Diseases ; Ships