PHWR Public Health Weekly Report

Objectives: Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) has caused sporadic human infections worldwide since the first human case was reported in Hong Kong in 1997. Poultry farm workers with direct contact with infected poultry are considered at increased risk for avian influenza infection. This study evaluated evidence of human infection through serologic testing among poultry farm workers epidemiologically linked to A(H5N1) outbreaks in the Republic of Korea (ROK) during the 2024–2025 season.
Methods: Acute- and convalescent-phase sera were collected through local public health centers from 41 poultry farm workers associated with HPAI A(H5N1) outbreaks in the ROK during the 2024–2025 season. Moreover, antibody detection was performed using a microneutralization test. According to the “Response Guidelines for Human Infection with Animal Influenza, a Class 1 Infectious Disease,” seropositivity was defined as ≥4-fold increase in neutralizing antibody titers between convalescent- and acute-phase sera.
Results: We analyzed 41 paired serum samples collected from Sejong, Gyeongbuk, Chungnam, Jeonnam, Gyeonggi, Incheon, Jeonbuk, and Gyeongnam provinces. Neutralizing antibody titers were ≤10 in all samples, and no ≥4-fold increase in antibody titers was detected in any participant.
Conclusions: In this investigation, no serologic evidence of HPAI A(H5N1) infection was identified among exposed poultry farm workers during the 2024–2025 outbreak period. However, considering the ongoing reports of human infections internationally and the expanding host range of the virus, including mammalian infections, continued active surveillance and periodic serologic monitoring of occupationally exposed high-risk populations are warranted.

Objectives: This study reviews the institutional development of injury management policy in the Republic of Korea (ROK) and examines the roles and first-year achievements of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), following the enforcement of the “Act on the Prevention and Management of Injuries.”
Methods: Policy documents, legal frameworks, national injury data systems, and relevant literature were analyzed for major policy changes since the 2000s. The expansion of national injury surveillance, the accumulation of injury statistics, and the policy basis for establishing the NCIPC were specifically emphasized.
Results: ROK’s injury management policy was initially fragmented across sectors. Since the 2010s, the expansion of national injury surveillance systems and the accumulation of standardized statistics have contributed to the recognition of injury prevention as an independent public health domain. The “Act on the Prevention and Management of Injuries” (enacted in 2024 and enforced in 2025) established the legal foundation for a coordinated national system, including the National Injury Management Committee and NCIPC. In 2025, key milestones included the assigning the entrusted institution for NCIPC operation and finalizing the First Comprehensive Injury Management Plan (2026–2030).
Conclusions: The NCIPC’s first-year operations represent a critical transition from policy formulation to system implementation. The NCIPC is expected to function as a central platform for injury surveillance, statistical production, policy support, workforce development, public communication, and multisectoral coordination. Its role will be further strengthened by implementing and evaluating national and regional injury management plans.