Five influenza pandemics had occurred during the past century (1918 "Spanish flu" , 1957 "Asian flu" , 1968 "Hong Kong flu" , 1977 "Russian flu" and 2009 H1N1 Pandemic), accounting for hundreds of millions of people infected and tens of millions dead. China was influenced by all the five pandemics, and three of them (1957 "Asian flu" , 1968 "Hong Kong flu" and 1977 "Russian flu" ) were originated from China. The pandemics triggered the establishment of public health agencies and influenza surveillance capacities. In addition, more resources were allocated to influenza-related research, prevention and control. As a leader in the field of influenza, China should further strengthen its pandemic preparedness and response to contribute to global health.
Asian People ; China/epidemiology* ; Disease Outbreaks/history* ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Hong Kong ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype ; Influenza, Human/history* ; Pandemics/history* ; Public Health

Medical diagnostics plays a significant role in clinical decisions. The first medical laboratory test to be developed was urine analysis, in which urine properties were analyzed for diagnosis. Urine analysis has been long used as a routine laboratory test that was improved with the development of sampling and test methods. As the field of hematology progressed with the invention of the microscope, blood tests were developed. Demands for tests based on clinical chemistry have existed since the 17th century, and research using patient blood began in the 18th century. In the 20th century, with the development of the spectrophotometer, chemical analyses were performed for diagnostic purposes. With the appearance of cholera outbreaks, the identification of microorganisms was necessary for patient diagnosis, and the development of specific test methods contributed to microorganism detection in the laboratory. Blood transfusion, which started with blood collection in the 15th century, is currently used as a therapeutic method in medicine. Moreover, once the hypothesis of acquired immunity was proven in the 18th century, various methods for measuring immunity were developed. Molecular diagnosis, which was established during the 20th century after the presentation of Mendel's Genetic Laws in the 19th century, developed rapidly and became the predominant field in medical laboratory diagnostics. Thus, medical laboratory technology became an academic field, with foundations based on basic sciences. Modern medicine will further progress thanks to medical advancements, leading to an extension of average human lifespan up to 100 years. Laboratory medicine will provide significant support for this development.
Adaptive Immunity ; Blood Transfusion ; Chemistry, Clinical ; Cholera ; Diagnosis ; Disease Outbreaks ; Foundations ; Hematologic Tests ; Hematology ; History, Modern 1601- ; Humans ; Inventions ; Jurisprudence ; Medical Laboratory Science ; Methods ; Pathology, Molecular

OBJECTIVES: Plague remains a public health concern worldwide, particularly in old foci. Multiple epidemics of this disease have been recorded throughout the history of Iran. Despite the long-standing history of human plague in Iran, it remains difficult to obtain an accurate overview of the history and current status of plague in Iran. METHODS: In this review, available data and reports on cases and outbreaks of human plague in the past and present in Iran and in neighboring countries were collected, and information was compiled regarding when, where, and how many cases occurred. RESULTS: This paper considers the history of plague in Persia (the predecessor of today’s Iran) and has a brief review of plague in countries in the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region, including a range of countries in the Middle East and North Africa. CONCLUSIONS: Since Iran has experienced outbreaks of plague for several centuries, neighboring countries have reported the disease in recent years, the disease can be silent for decades, and the circulation of Yersinia pestis has been reported among rodents and dogs in western Iran, more attention should be paid to disease monitoring in areas with previously reported human cases and in high-risk regions with previous epizootic and enzootic activity.
Africa, Northern ; Animals ; Disease Outbreaks ; Dogs ; History of Medicine ; Humans ; Iran* ; Mediterranean Region ; Middle East ; Persia ; Plague* ; Public Health ; Rodentia ; World Health Organization ; Yersinia pestis

Disease Outbreaks ; Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola ; epidemiology ; history ; prevention & control ; History, 21st Century ; Humans ; Sierra Leone ; epidemiology

Avian influenza viruses (AIV) have been isolated from a wide range of domestic and wild birds. Wild birds, predominantly ducks, geese and gulls form the reservoir of AIV in nature. The viruses in wild bird populations are a potential source of widespread infections in poultry. Active surveillance for AIV infection provides information regarding AIV distribution, and global AIV surveillance can play a key role in the early recognition of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Since 2003 in Korea, there have been four H5N1 HPAI outbreaks caused by clade 2.5, 2.2 and 2.3.2. Therefore, improvement of AIV surveillance strategy is required to detect HPAI viruses effectively. This article deals with the major events establishing the role of wild birds in the natural history of influenza in Korea. We highlighted the need for continuous surveillance in wild birds and characterization of these viruses to understand AIV epidemiology and host ecology in Korea.
Animals ; Birds* ; Charadriiformes ; Disease Outbreaks ; Ducks ; Ecology ; Epidemiology ; Geese ; Influenza in Birds* ; Influenza, Human ; Korea* ; Natural History ; Poultry ; Viruses*

Fears of a potential pandemic due to A(H5N1) viruses have focussed new attention on our current vaccines, their shortcomings, and concerns regarding global vaccine supply in a pandemic. The bulk of current vaccines are inactivated split virus vaccines produced from egg-grown virus and have only modest improvements compared with those first introduced over 60 years ago. Splitting, which was introduced some years ago to reduce reactogenicity, also reduces the immunogenicity of vaccines in immunologically naïve recipients. The A(H5N1) viruses have been found poorly immunogenic and present other challenges for vaccine producers which further exacerbate an already limited global production capacity. There have been some recent improvements in vaccine production methods and improvements to immunogenicity by the development of new adjuvants, however, these still fall short of providing timely supplies of vaccine for all in the face of a pandemic. New approaches to influenza vaccines which might fulfil the demands of a pandemic situation are under evaluation, however, these remain some distance from clinical reality and face significant regulatory hurdles.
Animals ; Birds ; Disease Outbreaks ; prevention & control ; statistics & numerical data ; Global Health ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype ; isolation & purification ; Influenza Vaccines ; history ; Influenza in Birds ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Influenza, Human ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; World Health Organization

INTRODUCTIONSingapore was substantially affected by three 20th Century pandemics. This study describes the course of the pandemics, and the preventive measures adopted.

MATERIALS AND METHODSWe reviewed and researched a wide range of material including peer-reviewed journal articles, Ministry of Health reports, Straits Settlements reports and newspaper articles. Monthly mortality data were obtained from various official sources in Singapore.

RESULTSThe 1918 epidemic in Singapore occurred in 2 waves--June to July, and October to November--resulting in up to 3500 deaths. The 1957 epidemic occurred in May, and resulted in widespread morbidity, with 77,000 outpatient attendances in government clinics alone. The 1968 epidemic occurred in August and lasted a few weeks, with outpatient attendances increasing by more than 65%. The preventive measures instituted by the Singapore government during the pandemics included the closure of schools, promulgation of public health messages, setting up of influenza treatment centres, and screening at ports. Students, businessmen and healthcare workers were all severely affected by the pandemics.

CONCLUSIONSTropical cities should be prepared in case of a future pandemic. Some of the preventive measures used in previous pandemics may be applicable during the next pandemic.

Disease Outbreaks ; history ; statistics & numerical data ; History, 20th Century ; Humans ; Influenza, Human ; epidemiology ; history ; mortality ; Public Health ; history ; Singapore ; epidemiology

This paper examines the spread of venereal disease from the Opening of Korea to the early Japanese colonial period. It focuses on the formation and expansion of Japanese settlement in Korea, the influence of wars, and the state control of VD. The Opening of Korea made the foreign settlement, and Japanese licensed prostitution flourished in Japanese settlement. According to the First Annual Report of the Korean Government Hospital(1886) and Gyelimuisa(1887), VD patients occupied 18.3% of outpatients in Jejungwon hospital of Seoul and 8.9% of outpatients in Busan hospital. Directly after the Opening of Korea, Korean people's VD became lesser critical than Japanese people's VD. But the expansion of Japanese settlement and outbreak of two wars such as Sino-Japanese War and Russo-Japanese War made worse Korean people's VD. According to the Residency-General resources(1904-1909), syphilis patients was registered in 0.8~6.6%(average 3.6%). If it add to gonorrhea and chancroid patients which often could not be found out by the naked eyes, the number of VD patients will be increase. Ji Seok-yeong(1855-1935), the earliest smallpox vaccinarian in Korea, asserted the need of VD control. Though he warned men bought sex as well as prostitutes became the main culprit of VD diffusion, he supported licensed prostitution because of realistic possibility. The Great Han Empire(1897-1910) tried to control the lower grade whore, and gathered prostitutes in some area by police power. After Japanese annexation of Korea, while Japanese has gradually decreased in VD patients, Korean has gradually increased in VD patients.
Colonialism/history ; Disease Outbreaks/*history/prevention & control ; Female ; History, 19th Century ; History, 20th Century ; Humans ; Japan ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Prostitution/history ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases/*history/prevention & control

The article "Pandemic influenza in Korea with special references to its etiology," published in JAMA in April, 1919 by Dr. Frank William Schofield, is a valuable material reflecting the influenza pandemic situation in 1918 in Korea. It contains the case reports of influenza infected patients and the results of the bacteriological experiments. Dr. Schofield worked as a bacteriology professor in Severance Union Medical College in Seoul from 1916 to 1920. His academic activities are lesser-known than the role of contributor of Korean independent movement. However, he was a remarkable veterinarian and scientist. According to Dr. Schofield, the number of Influenza infected population in Korea in 1918 was supposed to be 4,000,000 to 8,000,000, which corresponds with other resources(6.7 per 1,000 in Gangwon province). Considering the cases which were not registered as influenza infection by misdiagnosis of pneumonia complication the sum should be higher. However, the estimated crude influenza death rate from the reports by the Japanese colonial government was only 2.38(per 1,000). Dr. Schofield and his colleague tried to culture "Pfeiffer Bacillus" from the sputum and blood specimens of patients showing typical influenza symptoms. The bacterium was mistakenly considered as the influenza agent till the virological nature of influenza was discovered in the 1930s. From the results of his study he seemed to agree that "filterable virus" was the influenza agent and the secondary infection of the bacillus caused respiratory symptoms. He also reported on the influenza vaccination during the epidemics. Dr. Schofield's article confirms that the damage caused by the influenza outbreak in Korea was as great as in other Asian countries or even worse. It also gives information about the researches and education on the etiology and vaccination of influenza based on the germ theory in the medical colleges in Korea, which adopted the western medical educational system in the early 20th century.
Disease Outbreaks/*history ; History, 20th Century ; Humans ; Influenza Vaccines/history ; Influenza, Human/epidemiology/*history/mortality ; Korea/epidemiology ; Vaccination/history

OBJECTIVETo describe the specific features of the contact history of probable cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Beijing.

METHODSData of SARS cases notified from the Beijing Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention (BCDC) and supplemented by other channels were collected. All the data were analyzed by descriptive epidemiology.

RESULTS(1) The number of probable cases with contact history was significantly higher than the excluded cases. (2) The proportion of probable cases with contact history descended with epidemic development, but this situation did not occur in health care workers (HCWs). (3) The fatality rate of probable cases with contact history was significantly higher than the cases without contact history (OR = 1.489). (4) The proportion of probable cases with contact history was 85.86% among health care workers, which was significantly higher than that of non-health care workers (85.86% v.s. 56.44%, OR=4.69).

CONCLUSIONS(1) The susceptible persons with contact history may not get infected, and the contact history is just a sufficient condition of infecting SARS; (2) There are 3 conceivable reasons for the descending trend of the proportion in probable cases with contact history; (3) The contact history is one of the risk factors of the death of SARS cases; (4) The risk of contacting with SARS among health care workers is approximately 5 times higher than that of non-HCWs.

China ; Contact Tracing ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Disease Outbreaks ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Medical History Taking ; Occupational Exposure ; Risk Factors ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; transmission