Climate change induced by recent global warming may have a significant impact on vector-borne and zoonotic diseases. For example, the distribution of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) has expanded into new regions. We surveyed the levels of hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) antibodies against JEV (Family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus) in wild birds captured in Korea. Blood samples were collected from 1,316 wild birds including the following migratory birds: Oceanodroma castro (n = 4), Anas formosa (n = 7), Anas penelope (n = 20), Fulica atra (n = 30), Anas acuta (n = 89), Anas crecca (n = 154), Anas platyrhynchos (n = 214), Aix galericulata (n = 310), and Anas poecilorhyncha (n = 488). All were captured in 16 locations in several Korea provinces between April 2007 and December 2009. Out of the 1,316 serum samples tested, 1,141 (86.7%) were positive for JEV. Wild birds captured in 2009 had a higher seroprevalence of ant-JEV antibodies than those captured in 2007. Wild birds with an HI antibody titer of 1 : 1,280 or higher accounted for 21.2% (280/1,316) of the animals tested. These findings indicated that wild birds from the region examined in our study have been exposed to JEV and may pose a high risk for introducing a new JEV genotype into Korea.
Animal Migration ; Animals ; Animals, Wild ; Bird Diseases/*epidemiology/virology ; Birds ; Encephalitis Virus, Japanese/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Encephalitis, Japanese/blood/epidemiology/*veterinary/virology ; Genotype ; Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests ; Population Surveillance ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Seroepidemiologic Studies

Choriocarcinoma is one of the malignant tumors of trophoblastic cells characterized by secretion of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG). Choriocarcinoma often metastasizes to the lung, liver, and brain but skin metastasis is rare. To our knowledge, only one case of cutaneous metastasis was reported in Korea. A 35-year-old female presented with hemoptysis for 1 month. Biopsy from lung nodules revealed metastatic choriocarcinoma. She was subsequently referred to our clinic for evaluation of a rapidly growing, reddish nodule with bleeding tendency on the scalp. Histologic examination demonstrated biphasic pattern of cytotrophoblasts and hCG-positive syncytiotrophoblasts with multiple foci of hemorrhage - typical histologic features of choriocarcinoma. The patient was diagnosed with metastatic choriocarcinoma. We herein report a case of choriocarcinoma with cutaneous metastasis.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Brain ; Choriocarcinoma ; Chorion ; Female ; Hemoptysis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver ; Lung ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pregnancy ; Scalp ; Skin ; Trophoblasts

Mycobacterium (M.) bovis causes tuberculosis and has a broad host range, including humans, livestock, and wild animals. M. bovis infection of wild boar has been reported in several European countries. We report here the first case of M. bovis infection in a domesticated wild sow in Korea. Granulomatous and necrotizing lesions with small numbers of acid-fast bacilli were observed in nodules of the lung of wild sow. Furthermore, the M. bovis isolate from the wild sow had spoligotype SB0140 and a novel MIRU-VNTR allelic profile, which is not found in cattle and deer in Korea.
Animals ; Animals, Wild ; Cattle ; Deer ; Host Specificity ; Humans ; Korea* ; Livestock ; Lung ; Mycobacterium bovis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Sus scrofa ; Tuberculosis