BACKGROUND: Both the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases and The Korean Center for Diseases Control recommended MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccination to health care workers (HCWs) but this had rarely been applied mainly due to economic reasons. In this paper, we report a measles outbreak initiated by two inpatients and then spread to other nine infants and three HCWs. We also report that this outbreak was successfully contained by active infection control measures. METHODS: Measles cases were determined according to CDC clinical criteria and confirmed by the level of the measles-specific IgM antibody. Suspected patients were isolated in aeration-limited areas. After measles cases in HCWs were detected, people in 26 pediatric wards were screened for measles-specific IgG antibody. MMR (measle, rubella, mumps) vaccination was applied to HCWs who were negative for measles-specific antibodies or HCWs who were exposed but not sure of their vaccination status. RESULTS: From April 21 to June 4 in 2007, measles-infected patients consisted of eleven infants (11 months old in median age) and three HCW women. Antibody screening revealed that only 73% (19 out of 26) in pediatric wards were positive for measles-specific IgG. After a medical doctor was confirmed as measles-infected, health care worker exposed to measles patients were all vaccinated without antibody test. CONCLUSION: The precise level of anti-measles antibody in adults has to be revealed by further studies involving multiple organizations. This result could be helpful for establishing a proper health care policy of MMR vaccination.
Adult ; Antibodies ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; Communicable Diseases ; Delivery of Health Care ; Disease Outbreaks ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Infant ; Infection Control ; Inpatients ; Mass Screening ; Measles ; Mumps ; Rubella ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Vaccination

The health benefits of physical activity have been well established. However, more than a quarter of the adult population in the world is insufficiently active (not performing at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week, or any equivalent combination of the two), and there has been little improvement since 2001. In South Korea, the prevalence of insufficient physical activity was 54.4% in adults and 94.1% in adolescents in 2020. There was continuous decrease in the prevalence of sufficient aerobic physical activity, from 58.3% in 2014 to 45.6% in 2020. However, daily duration of sedentary behavior increased from 7.5 to 8.6 hours in the same period. Interventions to promote physical activity are necessary in various fields including clinical and policy approaches. As physical activity has decreased during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, safer and more effective strategies to promote physical activity are required.

Background: The concept of successful aging (SA) is becoming more emphasized. Since this status can change over time, it is necessary to evaluate the pattern of change and its effect on subjective well-being. Methods: In this study, the participants aged 65 or older in the Korean longitudinal study of aging (KLoSA) were divided into four groups based on the change in SA (2006-2018), and its relationships with self-rated health and life satisfaction were evaluated. Results: Compared to the non-SA (NSA)→NSA group, the odds ratio for positive self-rated health was 4.30 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.64-11.31) in the SA→SA group, 3.92 (95% CI, 1.94-7.95) in the NSA→SA group, and 1.79 (95% CI, 1.28-2.50) in the SA→NSA group. High life satisfaction was 2.42 (95% CI, 1.19-4.94) in the SA→SA group and 2.50 (95% CI, 1.36-4.59) in the NSA→SA group. Conclusions Maintenance or improvements of a SA state has a significant association with positive self-rated health and high life satisfaction.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors are increasingly used in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and inflammatory bowel diseases including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Rarely, anti-TNF therapy is associated with neurological complications, including both central and peripheral nervous system disorders. To the best of our knowledge, only one case of infliximab-associated multifocal motor neuropathy with conduction block in a patient with spondyloarthropathy has been reported to date in Korea. Here, we report on the case of a 58-year-old Korean woman affected by RA who developed multifocal motor neuropathy after infliximab treatment.
Arthritis, Psoriatic ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; Crohn Disease ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases ; Infliximab ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Spondylarthropathies ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death, with smoking cessation representing the most effective strategy to reduce the risk of smoking-related diseases. Pharmacotherapeutic interventions for smoking cessation such as nicotine replacement therapy, bupropion, and varenicline aim to manage the symptoms of nicotine cravings and withdrawal. Evidence-based practice guidelines for pharmacotherapy in smoking cessation have been recently developed in Korea.Current Concepts: Among the general population, varenicline is the recommended first-line therapy for smoking cessation, surpassing nicotine patches and bupropion therapy. Although varenicline is commonly effective, combination therapy with varenicline and a nicotine patches may be considered when varenicline monotherapy is insufficient for managing nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Extended-duration therapy (>12 weeks) has demonstrated greater efficacy compared to standard therapy (6-12 weeks). Varenicline can promote attempts to quit smoking in smokers who are not yet prepared to quit. In cases of smokers with comorbid psychiatric conditions, varenicline is preferred over nicotine patches. The efficacy and safety profiles of smoking cessation medications have been well established in patients with cardiovascular diseases.Discussion and Conclusion: Smoking is a chronic condition associated with a high risk of relapse, emphasizing the crucial role of pharmacotherapy in increasing the success rates of smoking cessation. In accordance with evidence-based smoking cessation guidelines, the careful selection of pharmacotherapeutic agents tailored to individual smokers is pivotal.

Field efficacy of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli-specific phage (PhiCJ19) as a feed additive was evaluated in weaning piglets. Fifty-four piglets at 3~4 weeks old were allocated in three different groups and two of them were fed with bacteriophage at different concentrations (10(6) PFU/kg feed and 10(8) PFU/kg feed, respectively) for 30 days. Body weight and feed intake were measured at 10 days interval and body condition and fecal score were inspected every day. Based on the measurement, feed conversion rate (FCR) and average daily gain (ADG) of each group during 30 days were analyzed. The analysis suggests that the bacteriophage may help the improvement of FCR and ADG at 10(8) PFU/kg of bacteriophage feeding group in 30 days. A result from analysis of fecal score indicates that the bacteriophage also may help to relieve the intermittent diarrhea in post-weaning stage. Those results suggest that bacteriophage might help the growth of piglets in post-weaning stage.
Bacteriophages ; Body Weight ; Diarrhea ; Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli ; Escherichia ; Weaning