OBJECTIVES: Investigations into foodborne illness, potentially caused by Kudoa septempunctata, has been ongoing in Korea since 2015. However, epidemiological analysis reporting and positive K septempunctata detection in feces in Korea has been limited. The aim of this study was to provide epidemiologic data analysis of possible food poisoning caused by K septempunctata in Korea. METHODS: This study reviewed 16 Kudoa outbreak investigation reports, including suspected cases between 2015 and 2016 in Gyeonggi province, Korea. Suspected Kudoa foodborne illness outbreak was defined as “evidence of K septempunctata in at least one sample.” The time and place of outbreak, patient symptoms and Kudoa (+) detection rate in feces was analyzed. RESULTS: Kudoa foodborne illness outbreaks occurred in most patients in August (22.6%) and in most outbreaks in April (25%). The attack rate was 53.9% and the average attack rate in patients who had consumed olive flounder was 64.7%. The average incubation period was 4.3 hours per outbreak. Diarrhea was the most common symptom which was reported by 91.5% patients. The Kudoa (+) detection rate in feces was 69.2% of cases. CONCLUSION: Monthly distribution of Kudoa foodborne illness was different from previous studies. The Kudoa (+) detection rate in feces decreased rapidly between 25.5 and 28.5 hours of the time interval from food intake to epidemiologic survey. To identify effective period of time of investigation, we believe additional study with extended number of cases is necessary.
Diarrhea ; Disease Outbreaks* ; Eating ; Feces ; Flounder ; Foodborne Diseases ; Gyeonggi-do* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Myxozoa ; Olea ; Seafood* ; Statistics as Topic

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to develop the attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-After School Checklist (ASK) to evaluate the severity of ADHD symptoms and self-management ability in children and adolescents in South Korea. Additionally, we evaluated the reliability and validity of the scale. METHODS: We developed the ASK to evaluate the effect of ADHD psychopathologies on self-management and interpersonal impulsivity. We investigated the reliability and validity of the scale with 1349 parents (male 56.9%; 1202 parents of non-ADHD children, 147 parents of children with ADHD) in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, Korea. RESULTS: According to the construct validity test using principal constant analysis with the varimax rotation method, two factors explained 60.7% of the cumulative variance in ASK scores. Cronbach's alpha for the whole scale was 0.71. There was no statistical difference between mean ASK scores at test and retest. Mean total ASK scores of the ADHD group were significantly higher than those of the non-ADHD group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The ASK can be used as a reliable and valid tool to evaluate not only self-management capability of children and adolescents with ADHD in their academic and everyday life, but also their impulsiveness in interpersonal relationships.
Adolescent ; Checklist* ; Child ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Impulsive Behavior ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Methods ; Parents ; Reproducibility of Results ; Self Care ; Seoul

PURPOSE: A pertussis patient from an elementary school, in Gyeonggi Province, Korea, was notified to public health authority on July 25, 2017. Epidemiologic investigation was conducted to identify the magnitude, possible source of infection and risk factors for this outbreak on August 17, 2017. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case was defined as the school student experiencing cough for more than two weeks with or without paroxysmal, whoop, or post-tussive vomiting. Control was defined as the student polymerase chain reaction-negative at the school. School based surveillance was implemented to identify additional cases. RESULTS: From June 29 to August 27, 2017, nine patients of pertussis were identified from an elementary school. Among nine cases, eight were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction positive. All cases had cough, one (11%) had post-tussive vomiting, and one (11%) had fever. Eight cases had macrolide for 7 days in outpatient clinic, and one case admitted in a hospital. There was no significant difference of demographic factors including gender (p=0.49), age group (p=0.97), number of series of vaccination of pertussis (p=0.52), the number of participation of after school activity (p=0.28), and the time elapsed since last vaccination (p=0.42). However, we found the history of contact within the classroom or after-school activity was only the independent risk factor among all the demographic factors collected (odds ratio, 63.61; 95% confidence interval, 4.35 to 930.79). CONCLUSION: The contributing factor for transmission is associated with the case-contact. Immediate identification of pertussis with use of appropriate diagnostic test may help to avoid a large number of cases.
Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Case-Control Studies ; Cough ; Demography ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Disease Outbreaks ; Fever ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Korea ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Public Health ; Risk Factors ; Vaccination ; Vaccines ; Vomiting ; Whooping Cough

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-After School Checklist (ASK) by comparing the results of the Comprehensive Attention Test (CAT) and Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) Scale and then by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. METHODS: We performed correlation analyses on the ASK and CAT results and then the ASK and CGI-S results. We created a ROC curve and evaluated performance on the ASK as a diagnostic tool. We then analyzed the test results of 1348 subjects (male 56.8%), including 1201 subjects in the general population and 147 ADHD subjects, aged 6–15 years, from kindergarten to middle school in Seoul and Gyeonggi province, South Korea. RESULTS: According to the correlation analyses, ASK scores and the Attention Quotient (AQ) of CAT scores showed a significant correlation of −0.20–−0.29 (p < 0.05). The t-test between ADHD scores and CGI-S also showed a significant correlation (t=−2.55, p < 0.05). The area under the ROC curve was calculated as 0.81, indicating good efficacy of the ASK, and the cut-off score was calculated as 15.5. CONCLUSION: The ASK can be used as a valid tool not only to evaluate functional impairment of ADHD children and adolescents but also to screen ADHD.
Adolescent ; Animals ; Cats ; Checklist* ; Child ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Korea ; ROC Curve ; Self Care ; Seoul

Objective: and methods To investigate the correlation between temperature and heart rate, we retrospectively reviewed 249 febrile patients with documented COVID-19 patients. RB was defined as a rise in the heart rate from a basal heart rate of less than 10 beats/minute/°C rise in temperature. Results: In this study, the prevalence of RB in patients with COVID-19 was 60.6%. When the HR at peak temperatures for patients with COVID-19 was compared with reference valve (general temperature–heart rate response in infectious disease), our findings demonstrate a relatively lower heart rate at all peak temperatures recorded. Despite differences in heart rate response, there were not significant differences in clinical outcomes (pulmonary manifestation, intensive care unit admission, death). Conclusion Most patients with COVID-19 are associated with relative bradycardia, not related to clinical outcomes. RB in COVID-19 can be considered as the clinical features for differential diagnosis from other febrile conditions.

OBJECTIVES: We estimated the population prevalence of antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), including unreported infections, through a Korea Seroprevalence Study of Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Retention and Transmission (K-SEROSMART) in 258 communities throughout Korea. METHODS: In August 2022, a survey was conducted among 10,000 household members aged 5 years and older, in households selected through two stage probability random sampling. During face-to-face household interviews, participants self-reported their health status, COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccination history, and general characteristics. Subsequently, participants visited a community health center or medical clinic for blood sampling. Blood samples were analyzed for the presence of antibodies to spike proteins (anti-S) and antibodies to nucleocapsid proteins (anti-N) SARS-CoV-2 proteins using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. To estimate the population prevalence, the PROC SURVEYMEANS statistical procedure was employed, with weighting to reflect demographic data from July 2022. RESULTS: In total, 9,945 individuals from 5,041 households were surveyed across 258 communities, representing all basic local governments in Korea. The overall population-adjusted prevalence rates of anti-S and anti-N were 97.6% and 57.1%, respectively. Since the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has reported a cumulative incidence of confirmed cases of 37.8% through July 31, 2022, the proportion of unreported infections among all COVID-19 infection was suggested to be 33.9%. CONCLUSIONS The K-SEROSMART represents the first nationwide, community-based seroepidemiologic survey of COVID-19, confirming that most individuals possess antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and that a significant number of unreported cases existed. Furthermore, this study lays the foundation for a surveillance system to continuously monitor transmission at the community level and the response to COVID-19.