Vibrio vulnificus is an opportunistic human pathogen, transmitted from seawater, raw oyster, and shellfish and responsible for severe septicemia. We studied V. vulnificus from surface seawater around Jeju Island between 2010 and 2011. In 2010, V. vulnificus was isolated and V. vulnificus septicemia was reported. Surface seawater temperature is an important factor for growth of V. vulnificus, and here we showed that high surface seawater temperature may influence growth of V. vulnificus and occurrence of emerging V. vulnificus septicemia on Jeju Island. This is the first report of isolation of V. vulnificus and emerging V. vulnificus septicemia on Jeju Island.
Humans ; Ostreidae ; Seawater* ; Sepsis* ; Shellfish ; Vibrio vulnificus*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop a mercury database for food commonly consumed by Koreans. METHODS: Target foods for a mercury database were selected from dietary survey data of the 2007-2009 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Data for mercury contents of foods were collected through literature review. Among 702 food items reported by 24 hr dietary recall method, the contents of mercury for 300 food items were selected with systematic evaluation from the literature, which provided analytical values, and those of 56 food items were imputed by using a conversion factor. RESULTS: The mercury database developed in this study covered 50.7% of all kinds of consumed foods and 95.1% of total amount of food intake reported by 2007-2009 KNHANES. In the database, the geometric mean of mercury contents in food items was the highest in the fishes and shellfishes group (41.13 microg/kg, n = 101) followed by mushrooms (18.93 microg/kg, n = 12) and seaweeds (5.92 microg/kg, n = 14), and the lowest in the meats group (0.15 microg/kg, n = 17). CONCLUSION: The developed mercury database can be used to estimate the dietary mercury exposure of Korean people, and the method for development of a mercury database would be helpful to researchers in development of a new database for other food borne hazardous substances.
Agaricales ; Eating ; Fishes ; Hazardous Substances ; Meat ; Nutrition Surveys ; Shellfish

This study was undertaken to observe the difference of patch test and prick test positive reactions in three groups, 20 atopic dermatitis patients, 20 chronic urticaria patients, and 20 normal controls, Twenty commercial antigens (ToriiCo.) and twenty three frozen and boiled antigens of fishes and shellfishes were used as test materials. The results were as follows: 1. No positive reaction was observed in all sixty subjects in patch test. 2 In prick test, difference in reactivity was observed among atopic dermatitis (14. 7%), chronic urticaria (8.7%), and normal control(1. 5%) 3. There was significant difference in reactivity between Torii and frozen antigens in atopic dermatitis group, but no significance in chronic urticaria and control groups. 4. Boiling altered the reactivity in tested materials in all three groups of subjects singificantly. 5. Patients with past or family history of allergic diseases showed double fold higher reactivity tban patients without any history.
Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Fishes ; Humans ; Patch Tests ; Shellfish* ; Urticaria*

This study was conducted to investigate the vibrio flora in edible shellfish (Ruditapes philippinarum, Scapharca broughtonii, Batillus cornutus and Mytilus coruscus) which were purchased from seafood-market or collected from shellfish culture bed in Pusan and Masan Bay from May to October 1997. Sixty-three vibrio strains were identified among 438 collected strains. Five species of vibrios [V. alginolyticus (22 strains), V. parahaemolyticus (35 strains), V. costicola (2 strains), L. damsela (V. damsela 2 strains), and V. cholerae non-Ol (2 strains)] were identified by their phenotyfic and biochemical characteristics. Four groups (142 strains) were identified as genus Vibrio by their biological characteristics, but they could not be identified to the species level.
Bays ; Busan ; Cholera ; Mytilus ; Population Characteristics ; Scapharca ; Shellfish* ; Vibrio*

Paralytic shellfish poisoning results from consumption of mollusks that have fed on dinoflagellates capable of producing neurotoxins such as saxitoxin. The saxitoxin is concentrated in the shellfish and acts by decreasing sodium-channel permeability, thereby blocking neuronal transmission in skeletal muscles. Symptoms including paresthesia, perioral numbness, perioral tingling, nausea, vomiting, extremity numbness, extremity tingling, dizziness, ataxia, dysphagia, and weakness have been reported. In serious cases, respiratory hold may occur up to 6~24 hours after ingestion. Generally, the treatment for paralytic shellfish poisoning is supportive care, but mechanical ventilation is needed in serious cases acompanied by respiratory hold. We experienced two cases of paralytic shellfish poisoning. Respiratory hold was presented in one case and only mild paresthesia in the other case. After supportive management, including mechanical ventilation in former case, both patients were discharged without sequalae.
Ataxia ; Deglutition Disorders ; Dinoflagellida ; Dizziness ; Eating ; Extremities ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Mollusca ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Nausea ; Neurons ; Neurotoxins ; Paresthesia ; Permeability ; Respiration, Artificial ; Saxitoxin* ; Shellfish ; Shellfish Poisoning* ; Vomiting

We surveyed 26 employees of a shell-handling factory on whom skin tests with 12 common allergens and shell powder extract were done. Specific bronchial Provocation tests with shell powder extract were performed on the subjects who had respiratory symptoms. Positive skin responders to shell powder extract were 8 among the 26 subjects (30.8%), and subjects who were positive responders to any one of 12 common allergens showed a higher positive rate than negative responders. Among the 8 subjects who had a positive skin response, four had respiratory symptoms. Three subjects were positive bronchial responders to bronchial provocation tests.
Adult ; Asthma/epidemiology* ; Bronchial Provocation Tests ; Human ; Korea ; Male ; Occupational Diseases/epidemiology* ; Shellfish* ; Skin Tests

With the growing number of nutrient calculation software packages on the market, there are need to compare each programs. Since each program use different nutrient datanases, the result of calculation may be different in value. In this study, we use three(A, B, C) most popular program package to compare the result of nutrient calculation. For the analysis, 24hour recall data from 97 preschool children, 66 university students and 95 aged persona were used. For the calculation if subjects gave the complete recipe, recipes from the subjects were used. Otherwise, recipe from the program database were used. Common 15 nutrients of which all program can give results, are analyzed and compared for mean nutrient intake and nutrient intake for food groups. Ten nutrients among 15 nutrients which have RDA were analyzed for % of RDA and the distribution of RDA. Mean nutrient intake of Fe, vitamin A, Na were statistically different among results of the calculation using three programs(p<0.001). The distribution of Fe, vitamin A and vitamin B2, niacin were statistically different among three results of the calculation using three program(p<0.001, p<0.05). Nutrient intakes of food groups were statistically different in cereal and products, bean and products, vegetables, fruits, fishes and shellfishes, milk and products, beverages, and seasonings(p<0.0001). It os hard to say that the difference among three program are coming from the difference from nutrient database or recipe database in this study. With these result, we conclude that it is necessary to evaluate nutrient database and recipe database as the foremost consideration in selecting nutrient calculation software. Those differences should be considered when interpreting results, comparing results with other studies, and when developing treatment plans in the clinical settings.
Beverages ; Edible Grain ; Child, Preschool ; Fishes ; Fruit ; Humans ; Milk ; Niacin ; Riboflavin ; Shellfish ; Vegetables ; Vitamin A

Vibrio vulnificus primary septicemia is a serious illness associated with high mortality rates and is caused by the ingestion of raw or undercooked shellfish. Most patients admitted with V. vulnificus infection are immunocompromised or have an underlying disease, such as liver cirrhosis or hemochromatosis. In contrast, the authors experienced an uncommon case in which a patient with no known underlying disease rapidly progressed to sepsis with hypotensive shock, followed by death within a few hours. Based on a postmortem examination, tissue cultures, and blood cultures, it was determined that the patient had been infected with V. vulnificus and had chronic liver disease. There are no reports in Korea on the clinicopathological findings of V. vulnificus infection. Here, we present the case of a patient with V. vulnificus septicemia and describe the associated clinical symptoms and clinicopathological findings discovered upon autopsy.
Autopsy ; Eating ; Hemochromatosis ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Diseases ; Sepsis ; Shellfish ; Shock ; Vibrio ; Vibrio vulnificus

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between acute diarrheal disease and causative seafood. METHODS: This study was done retrospectively by investigating age, sex, symptoms, and causative seafoods in 140 patients. Correlating symptoms were vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, and bloody diarrhea. Causative seafood were crab, spiny lobster, pickles, sliced raw fish, and shellfish. All patients was seen at our hospital between September and November in two consecutive years, 2000 and 2001. RESULTS: An characteristic of seafood related food poisoning was an age of 30 or older. The major cause of seafood related food poisoning was crab. The most common symptom of seafood related food poisoning was abdominal pain. Symptom of crab relate food poisoning was most severe. CONCLUSION: Further studies are recommended to document an epidemiology and bacteriologic analysis of seafood related food poisoning in Chungnam-Taeangun.
Abdominal Pain ; Diarrhea ; Epidemiology ; Fever ; Foodborne Diseases ; Humans ; Korea* ; Palinuridae ; Retrospective Studies ; Seafood* ; Shellfish ; Vomiting

V.parahaemolyticus or V.alginolyticus infections are usually associated with consumption of raw or undercooked shellfish, contaminated food, and exposure of wounds to warm seawater. V.parahaemolyticus causes gastroenteritis(the most common syndrome), wound infections, and septicemia. V alginolyticus occasionally causes extraintestinal infections in humans. so far, the authors have not found the report of V.parahaemolyticus and V.alginolyticus isolation from a patient. So, we report a case of concurrent isolation of V.parahaemolyticus and V.alginolyticus from a patient who had a history of intestinal diarrhea and vomiting.
Diarrhea ; Humans ; Seawater ; Sepsis ; Shellfish ; Vibrio alginolyticus* ; Vibrio parahaemolyticus* ; Vibrio* ; Vomiting ; Wound Infection ; Wounds and Injuries