No abstract available.
Humans ; Hypoalbuminemia* ; Scrub Typhus*

Background: There have been many reports on microbial contamination of antiseptics and disinfectant used in the hospitals. Mid to low level disinfectants such as chlorhexidine gluconate, quaternary ammonium, phenols and benzalkonium are reported to be the one with high risk of microbial contamination. We investigated microbial contamination of 0.05% chlorhexidine gluconate solution used in our hospital. Methods: 0,05% chlorhexidine gluconate solution and 0.05% chlorhexidine gluconate cotton balls used in the general ward and intensive care unit were randomly collected for microbial culture. Also, sterile water, 20% chlorhexidine gluconate and staining solution, which is mixed in the preparation room to make 0,05% chlorhexidine gluconate solutions, were collected for bacterial culture to evaluate the focus of microbial contamination. Results: Total of 31 chlorhexidine gluconate samples was randomly collected from general wards. intensive care unit and preparation room for microbial culture. Seven of thirteen 0.05% chlorhexidine gluconate solution and 5 of twelve 0.05% chlorhexidine soaked cotton balls kept in a canister were contaminated by Burkholderia cepacia. Sterile water used for dilution of 20% chlorhexidine gluconate to make 0.05% chlorhexidine and originally purchased 20% chlorhexidine gluconate were not contaminated by microorganism. But staining solution that is used as an additive to differentiate from other diluted disinfectants was contaminated by Bukholderia cepacia. 0.05% chlorhexidine gluconate solutions that were mixed in the preparation room were also contaminated by same organism. Source of contamination was thought to be staining solution. All the previously made chlorhexidine. solutions and staining solution were discarded. Staining solution was not used afterward. Several processes in the handling of chlorthexidine solution were corrected and no microbial contamination was found afterward. Conclusion: Diluted chlorthexidine gluconate solutions are always under a risk of microbial contamination if any of the process in the handling is overlooked. Staining solution as an additive to disinfectants should be used carefully.
Ammonium Compounds ; Anti-Infective Agents, Local ; Benzalkonium Compounds ; Burkholderia cepacia ; Chlorhexidine* ; Disinfectants ; Intensive Care Units ; Patients' Rooms ; Phenol ; Phenols ; Water

Vivax malaria has occurred every year since its re-emergence in 1993. The majority of malaria infections in the Republic of Korea occur among person living in the vivax malaria-risk area. In the early period, most of the cases were from soldiers stationed in the Demilitarized Zone. But since the year 2000, epidemiologic characteristics have changed. In 2013, 453 cases occurred which is the lowest number since 1996 and more than half of the annual cases are occurring from civilian. Although number of malaria infection occurring among persons who traveled to regions with ongoing malaria transmission is relatively small, imported malaria is the important health concern. Imported malaria infections, especially falciparum malaria can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated promptly with appropriate antimalarial drugs. Even though malaria chemoprophylaxis will prevent majority of malaria infection, majority of persons with imported malaria did not take chemoprophylaxis. For proper prescription of prophylactic antimalarial medications and treatment, clinicians should consider likely country of malaria acquisition and drug resistance situation of that country.
Antimalarials ; Chemoprevention ; Drug Resistance ; Humans ; Malaria* ; Malaria, Vivax ; Military Personnel ; Plasmodium falciparum ; Plasmodium vivax ; Prescriptions ; Republic of Korea

Zika virus was first isolated in from nonhuman primate in 1947. It is in the genus Flavivirus, closely related to other flavivirus like Dengue, West Nile, Yellow fever and Japanese encephalitis virus. Since 2007 epidemic in Yap island, zika virus infections had spread to the countries in Micronesia and South Pacific. In 2015, Zika virus outbreak occurred in Brazil and now more than 40 countries in American continents reported autochthonous infection. The virus is transmitted mainly by Ae. aegypti mosquito with many other Aedes mosquito species known as vector. Recently, Zika virus infection is known to cause severe neurological complications and congenital malformation. In this paper, we will review current knowledge on Zika virus history, biology, clinical characteristics and preventive method.
Aedes ; Biology ; Brazil ; Culicidae ; Dengue ; Encephalitis Virus, Japanese ; Flavivirus ; Methods ; Microcephaly ; Micronesia ; Primates ; Yellow Fever ; Zika Virus Infection* ; Zika Virus*

Although it is not certain when malaria began to appear in the Korean peninsula, it is believed to have had been an endemic disease until 1984. Vivax malaria reemerged in the Republic of Korea (ROK) in 1993. In the early period most of the cases occurred among soldiers stationed in the DMZ and the adjacent region. In order to cope with malaria, the soldiers at risk received chemoprophylaxis with chloroquine and primaquine. The regimen for the treatment of vivax malaria in Korea was established in 1950's. Primaquine was introduced in 1951, and the field testing during the Korean War demonstrated that the combination of three days of chloroquine administration with fourteen days of primaquine reliably prevented the recurrence of vivax malaria. The regimen has been used since then, but there were some controversies as to whether or not to start chloroquine and primaquine on the same day. Most of the current treatment guidelines recommend the use of primaquine for fourteen days to overlap with blood schizonticide agents such as chloroquine and routine tests for G-6-PD deficiency before use. Previous data showed that the G-6-PD deficiency rate has been found very low among Koreans. Thus, it is not always necessarily mandatory to test for G-6-PD deficiency among Korean patients.
Chemoprevention ; Chloroquine ; Endemic Diseases ; Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase ; Humans ; Korea* ; Korean War ; Malaria ; Malaria, Vivax* ; Military Personnel ; Primaquine ; Recurrence ; Republic of Korea

Travel-related health problems such as febrile illness have been reported in many travelers going to developing countries. With the emergence of new infectious diseases occurring in many parts of the world and their spread worldwide, early diagnosis of emerging infectious diseases or tropical diseases has become a very important part of controlling these diseases. In doing so, the itinerary of the ill returning traveler is crucial to formulating a differential diagnosis because exposure to pathogens differs depending on the area of travel. With up-to-date information on infectious diseases occurring worldwide, a differential diagnosis can be made by adding information on duration of travel, incubation period, underlying medical illness, history of prophylactic vaccines received, and knowledge of the patient's exposures during travel including insect bites, contaminated food or water, or freshwater swimming. Some travelers may have specific symptoms and signs such as fever, rash, or hemorrhagic manifestations. For example, eosinophilia suggests a possible helminth infection. In this article, the general approach to returnning travelers with suspected tropical disease will be described.
Communicable Diseases ; Communicable Diseases, Emerging ; Dengue ; Developing Countries ; Diagnosis, Differential* ; Early Diagnosis ; Eosinophilia ; Exanthema ; Fever ; Fresh Water ; Helminths ; Insect Bites and Stings ; Malaria ; Swimming ; Travel Medicine ; Vaccines ; Water

BACKGROUND: In several studies, failure of some of the previously developed anti-HIV-1/HIV-2 ELISA tests to detect HIV-1 group O infected blood had been reported. All of the anti-HIV-1/HIV-2 ELISA tests made by Korean manufactures have limitation in detecting HIV-1 group O infected blood. Newly developed LG Anti-HIV 1/2 Plus is the first Korean made product to overcome this limitation. METHODS: Sensitivity and specificity of LG Anti-HIV 1/2 Plus (LG Life Science, Seoul, Korea) and Enzygnost Anti-HIV 1/2 Plus (Dade Behring, Marburg, Germany) were evaluated using 82 Anti-HIV 1 positive samples, 2 Anti-HIV 1 group O positive samples, 25 Anti-HIV 2 positive samples and commercial BBI (Boston Biomedica, Inc., MA, USA)) Anti-HIV panels and 382 Anti HIV negative samples (300 healthy donors, 13 alcoholics sera, 20 end-stage renal disease sera, 20 HBsAg positive sera, 22 anti-HBs antibody positive sera, 7 anti-HCV positive sera) respectively. Seroconversion window was evaluated using 2 BBI(R) seroconversion panel. Intrapersonal and interpersonal reproducibility of the test were evaluated also. RESULTS: Sensitivity and specificity of both tests were 100%. Analysis of window period using commercial seroconversion panel showed no difference between both tests. CONCLUSION: LG Anti-HIV 1/2 Plus LISA showed excellent sensitivity and specificity in tested samples including HIV-1 group O infected sera. It can be concluded that LG Anti-HIV 1/2 Plus ELISA is capable of detecting most of the HIV-1, HIV-2 type and it could be used in screening donated blood.
Alcoholics ; Biological Science Disciplines ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay* ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; HIV ; HIV-1 ; HIV-2 ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Mass Screening ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Seoul ; Tissue Donors

No abstract available.
Malaria, Vivax

In Korea, patterns of parasitic infections have notably changed during the past few decades. The soil-transmitted helminthiases and water-borne protozoan infections, which had been prevalent, became negligible, while parasitic zoonosis including pet-associated infections, food-borne helminthiases, and imported tropical endemic diseases have increasingly been detected. People who travel abroad and those who have immigrated from other countries might suffer from endemic tropical diseases. Except for a few entities, which invoked acute febrile illness (malaria) and diarrhea (giardiasis and amoebiasis), most helminthic and protozoan infections did not provoke acute symptoms. Those infections progress slowly, but can sometimes result in fatal clinical consequences. Diverse tropical endemic diseases are prevalent in several continents/countries according to different natural environments (climate and humidity), socioeconomic status, and traditional cultural background. Those diseases might be acquired through different routes of infection. Travelers who have returned to Korea from overseas and immigrants should undergo a careful differential diagnosis. Information on countries and duration of travel/residence, food habits, underlying medical history, prophylactics received, exposure to harmful environments (insect bites, contaminated food or water), and swimming in freshwater is valuable. This article briefly overviews the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and specific chemotherapeutics of the tropical endemic diseases that are important in Korea.
Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diarrhea ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Endemic Diseases ; Epidemiology ; Food Habits ; Fresh Water ; Helminthiasis ; Helminths ; Humans ; Korea ; Parasitic Diseases* ; Protozoan Infections ; Social Class ; Swimming

The recent epidemic of Zika virus in South America caused people around the world to exhibit an increased interest in the impact of arboviral illnesses. In Korea, malaria and Japanese encephalitis are the most important mosquito-borne diseases that occur indigenously. However, with the continuously increasing number of international travelers, the incidence of imported arboviral illnesses is also increasing. Currently, dengue fever is the most common mosquito-borne disease among Korean international travelers. The number of patients with Japanese encephalitis, chikungunya fever, and Zika virus infection is also on the rise. Many countries that have disease-transmitting mosquitoes have already experienced autochthonous arboviral infections due to the introduction of viruses by travelers. Moreover, with global warming and urbanization of the areas in which mosquito-borne diseases occur, the environment is becoming more favorable for mosquito-borne diseases. This concise review describes the current status and outlook of mosquito-borne diseases in Korea.
Chikungunya Fever ; Culicidae ; Dengue ; Encephalitis, Japanese ; Global Warming ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea* ; Malaria ; South America ; Urbanization ; Zika Virus ; Zika Virus Infection