Report of the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases Roundtable Discussion on Responses to the Measles Outbreaks in Korea in 2019

During the 2019 domestic measles outbreak in Korea, measles occurred in healthcare workers with two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, and the strict application of the Occupational Safety and Health Act required medical institutions to identify healthcare workers' immunity to measles and vaccinate the susceptible pockets. In response to the frontline medical institutions' request to review the measles recommendations and guidelines, the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases held a roundtable discussion on the causes of measles outbreak, timing of vaccinations, antibody tests, and booster vaccinations for healthcare workers, and financial support from the government and municipality as well as response strategies against the outbreak in healthcare settings. In Korea, the seroprevalence of measles is decreasing in the vaccine-induced immunity group during the maintenance of measles elimination over several years. The susceptible group against measles is in their 20s and 30s, and this may be because of waning immunity rather than nonresponse considering Korea's vaccine policy. The risk of measles nosocomial infection from community increases as these susceptible pockets actively engage in medical institutions.Thus, data on the immunity of low seroprevalence group in Korea are needed, further discussion is needed on the booster vaccination based on the data. Especially, antibody testing and vaccination in healthcare workers may be necessary to prevent the spread of measles in medical insutitutions, and further discussion is needed regarding specific testing methods, and the timing and frequency of test and vaccination.

Report of the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases Roundtable Discussion on Responses to the Measles Outbreaks in Korea in 2019

During the 2019 domestic measles outbreak in Korea, measles occurred in healthcare workers with two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, and the strict application of the Occupational Safety and Health Act required medical institutions to identify healthcare workers' immunity to measles and vaccinate the susceptible pockets. In response to the frontline medical institutions' request to review the measles recommendations and guidelines, the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases held a roundtable discussion on the causes of measles outbreak, timing of vaccinations, antibody tests, and booster vaccinations for healthcare workers, and financial support from the government and municipality as well as response strategies against the outbreak in healthcare settings. In Korea, the seroprevalence of measles is decreasing in the vaccine-induced immunity group during the maintenance of measles elimination over several years. The susceptible group against measles is in their 20s and 30s, and this may be because of waning immunity rather than nonresponse considering Korea's vaccine policy. The risk of measles nosocomial infection from community increases as these susceptible pockets actively engage in medical institutions.Thus, data on the immunity of low seroprevalence group in Korea are needed, further discussion is needed on the booster vaccination based on the data. Especially, antibody testing and vaccination in healthcare workers may be necessary to prevent the spread of measles in medical insutitutions, and further discussion is needed regarding specific testing methods, and the timing and frequency of test and vaccination.

Rapid Health Needs Assessment after Typhoons Bolaven and Tembin Using the Public Health Assessment for Emergency Response Toolkit in Paju and Jeju, Korea 2012

Following natural disasters, rapid health needs assessments are required to quickly assess health status and help decision making during the recovery phase. The Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) developed the Public Health Assessment for Emergency Response (PHASER) Toolkit which was optimized for a weather disaster in Korea. The goal of this study is to assess public health needs following the 2012 typhoons Bolaven and Tembin in both urban and rural areas in Korea. We conducted pilot trials using the PHASER toolkit to assess health needs following typhoons Bolaven and Tembin in Paju and Jeju during summer 2012. We sampled 400 households in Jeju and 200 households in Paju using a multistage cluster sampling design method. We used a standardized household tracking sheet and household survey sheet to collect data on the availability of resource for daily life, required health needs, clinical results and accessibility of medical services. The primary outcomes were clinical results and accessibility of medical service after the typhoons. We completed surveys for 190 households in Paju and 386 households in Jeju. Sleeping disorders were identified in 6.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.8%–10.8%) surveyed in Paju and 17.4% (95% CI, 12.8%–22.0%) in Jeju. We used the PHASER toolkit to assess healthcare needs rapidly after 2 typhoons in Korea. Sleeping disorders were frequently identified in both Paju and Jeju following the 2 typhoons.

Overview of the Development of the Korean Exposure Factors Handbook / 예방의학회지

A set of exposure factors that reflects the characteristics of individual behavior capable of influencing exposure is essential for risk and exposure assessment. In 2007, the Korean Exposure Factors Handbook was, therefore, issued, driven by the need to develop reliable exposure factors representing the Korean population. The purpose of this study was to overview the development process of the Korean Exposure Factors Handbook and major recommended exposure values for the Korean population to allow information exchanges and comparison of recommended values among nations. The researchers reviewed the domestic data that could be used in the development of exposure factors, confirmed a knowledge gap, and set a priority of development by phases. A methodology to measure exposure factors was established to develop measuring techniques and test their validity. Data were processed or a survey was conducted according to the availability of data. The study thus produced recommended values for 24 exposure factors grouped by general exposure factors, food ingestion factors, and activity factors by setting up a database of exposure factors and carrying out statistical analysis. The study has significantly contributed to reducing the potential uncertainty of the risk and exposure assessment derived by the application of foreign data or research findings lacking representativeness or grounds by developing a set of exposure factors reflecting the characteristics of the Korean people. It will be necessary to conduct revisions in light of the changing statistical values of national data and the exposure factors based on Korean characteristics.

Food Ingestion Factors of the Korean Exposure Factors Handbook / 예방의학회지

The purpose of this study was to establish food ingestion factors needed to assess exposure to contaminants through food ingestion. The study reclassified the raw data of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2001 into 12 subcategories including grain products, meat products, fish and shellfish, and vegetables for international comparability of exposure evaluation. The criteria for food intake calculation were unified according to the characteristics of food groups, and recommended values for food ingestion factors were calculated through moisture correction and recategorization of cooked, processed, and mixed foods for each group. The average intake rate for grain and grain products was 6.25 g/kg-d per capita and the men's intake rate was approximately 8% higher than that of the women. The average intake rate of meat and meat products was 1.62 g/kg-d per capita and the men's intake rate was 30% higher than that of the women, on average. The average intake rate of fish and shellfish was 1.53 g/kg-d per capita, and the age groups of 1 to 2 and 3 to 6 recorded higher capita intake rates than other age groups, 2.62 g/kg-d and 2.25 g/kg-d, respectively. The average intake rate of vegetables was 6.47 g/kg-d per capita, with the age group of 1 to 2 recording the highest per capita intake rate of 9.79 g/kg-d and that of 13 to 19 recording the lowest mean. The study also offers recommended values for food ingestion factors of other food groups by gender, age, and region. The food ingestion exposure factors will need future updates in consideration of ongoing changes in food consumption behavior.

Activity Factors of the Korean Exposure Factors Handbook / 예방의학회지

Exposure factors based on the Korean population are required for making appropriate risk assessment. It is expected that handbooks for exposure factors will be applied in many fields, as well as by health department risk assessors. The present article describes the development of an exposure factors handbook that specifically focuses on human activities in situations involving the possible risk of exposure to environmental contaminants. We define majour exposure factors that represent behavioral patterns for risk assessment, including time spent on routine activities, in different places, on using transportation, and engaged in activities related to water contact including swimming, bathing and washing. Duration of residence and employment are also defined. National survey data were used to identify recommended levels of exposure factors in terms of time spent on routine activities and period of residence and employment. An online survey was conducted with 2073 subjects who were selected using a stratified random sampling method in order to develop a list of exposure factors for the time spent in different places and in performing water-related activities. We provide the statistical distribution of the variables, and report reference levels of average exposure based on the reliable data in our exposure factors handbook.

The Effects of Temperature on Heat-related Illness According to the Characteristics of Patients During the Summer of 2012 in the Republic of Korea / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between heat-related illnesses developed in the summer of 2012 and temperature. METHODS: The study analyzed data generated by a heat wave surveillance system operated by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the summer of 2012. The daily maximum temperature, average temperature, and maximum heat index were compared to identify the most suitable index for this study. A piecewise linear model was used to identify the threshold temperature and the relative risk (RR) above the threshold temperature according to patient characteristics and region. RESULTS: The total number of patients during the 3 months was 975. Of the three temperature indicators, the daily maximum temperature showed the best goodness of fit with the model. The RR of the total patient incidence was 1.691 (1.641 to 1.743) per 1degrees C after 31.2degrees C. The RR above the threshold temperature of women (1.822, 1.716 to 1.934) was greater than that of men (1.643, 1.587 to 1.701). The threshold temperature was the lowest in the age group of 20 to 64 (30.4degrees C), and the RR was the highest in the > or =65 age group (1.863, 1.755 to 1.978). The threshold temperature of the provinces (30.5degrees C) was lower than that of the metropolitan cities (32.2degrees C). Metropolitan cities at higher latitudes had a greater RR than other cities at lower latitudes. CONCLUSIONS: The influences of temperature on heat-related illnesses vary according to gender, age, and region. A surveillance system and public health program should reflect these factors in their implementation.

The Long and Short Incubation Periods of Plasmodium vivax Malaria in Korea: The Characteristics and Relating Factors

BACKGROUND: The cases of Plasmodium vivax malaria in Korea are mixed with long and short incubation periods. This study aims to define clinico-epidemiologic chracteristcs of Plasmodium vivax malaria in Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We selected the civilian cases infected with P. vivax malaria in Korea from the epidemiological investigation data of 2001 to 2010, whose incubation periods could be estimated. The long and short incubation periods were defined by duration of infection and onset time, and the cases were compared by demographic factors and clinical symptom, infection and onset time. The correlation was analyzed between the proportion of cases in the infected region with the long incubation period and meteorological factors along with latitude. RESULTS: The length of the mean short and long incubation periods for the cases were 25.5 days and 329.4 days, respectively. The total number of the study subjects was 897, and the number cases of short and long incubation periods was 575 (64.1%) and 322 (35.9%), respectively. The aspect of incubation period showed a significant difference by region of infection; there was a higher proportion of long incubation period infection cases in Gangwon-do than in Gyeonggi-do and Incheon. The proportion of long incubation period cases showed significant correlation with latitude and temperature of August and September of the infected regions. CONCLUSIONS: Incubation period of P. vivax malaria in Korea showed significant difference by infected region, infection and onset time and the proportion of long incubation period cases showed significant correlation with latitude and meteorological factors of the infected regions.

Characteristics of Summer Heatwave Victims of Emergency Department Visits in Korea During 2011: Results from the Surveillance System of Heat-related Illness Based on Emergency Department

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine characteristics of health-related victims identified through the Surveillance System of Heat-related Illness (SSHI) based on emergency department (ED) visits. METHODS: Between July 1 and September 3 of 2011, 443 heat-related patients were reported by 396 of the 461 EDs participating in the SSHI. Heat-related illness included heat (sun) stroke, heat cramp, heat syncope, and heat exhaustion. A hot day was defined as a day above 30degrees C of daily maximum temperature in locations of provincial and metropolitan government offices. We used chi square test for identification of risk factors associated with Heat-related illness in the workplace and heat-related illness heat (sun) stroke. RESULTS: Heatwave, defined as lasting three or more hot days, occurred three times during this period. The daily average number of heat-related patients reported during the heatwave period was 15.7 per day, more than four times the usual rate. The daily maximum temperature showed positive correlation with occurrence of heat-related illness. Heat exhaustion was the most frequent cause (46.0%), with approximately 70% of all cases occurring between noon and 6 p.m. The number of people suffering from heat-related illness while outdoors was three times greater than that of those who experienced it indoors. Work-related occurrence comprised 56.7% of all cases. All six deaths occurred during the heatwave period and were work-related. CONCLUSION: Working conditions, outdoor activities, and old age may be associated with health-related illnesses. A surveillance system that monitors emergency room visits may be useful in assessment of adverse health effects of summer heatwaves.