PHWR Public Health Weekly Report

Objectives: Tuberculosis ( TB) is an airborne infectious disease that requires early detection and contact management to prevent community transmission. Timely diagnosis and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) can reduce the risk of progression to active TB. This study analyzed the results of TB contact investigations conducted in 2025 to evaluate the status of contact management and provide baseline evidence for future TB control policies.
Methods: Household and congregate setting contacts of patients with pulmonary TB registered in the Korea Tuberculosis Network System in 2025 were analyzed. The analysis included contacts, additional TB cases, and individuals diagnosed with LTBI, with findings stratified by age group and congregate setting type.
Results: A total of 100,124 contacts from 15,280 households and 3,617 congregate settings were investigated, resulting in the early detection of 233 additional TB cases (232.7/10⁵ contacts). The rate of additional TB cases was highest among contacts aged ≥80 years (496.0/10⁵ contacts). LTBI was diagnosed in 13,797 individuals (24.7%), and 6,933 of 12,524 eligible individuals (55.4%) initiated treatment. LTBI rates increased with age, whereas treatment initiation rates decreased with age.
Conclusions: Contacts aged ≥80 years had the highest rates of additional TB cases and LTBI but the lowest treatment initiation rate, highlighting the need for active screening and improved treatment uptake in older contacts. Although the LTBI treatment initiation rate improved compared with the previous year, a sustained management system to support treatment completion is required. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency plans to strengthen age-tailored management for this age group, support LTBI treatment among contacts of patients with multidrug-resistant TB, and enhance follow-up among untreated individuals.

Objectives: This study analyzed 5-year trends in rare disease incidence, deaths, and medical expenditures in the Republic of Korea using the 「Annual Report on the Rare Disease Patients in Korea」 (the Annual Report), with particular attention to the 2023 incidence figures by age, province, and frequently occurring diseases.
Methods: This retrospective descriptive study used data from the Annual Report from 2019 to 2023. The annual numbers of newly registered rare disease cases and of deaths and the figures for healthcare utilization were analyzed, with particular attention to the incidence status in 2023.
Results: Newly registered rare disease cases remained at around 50,000 annually before rising to 62,420 in 2023, with deaths and medical expenditures also increasing. In 2023, the incidence was highest among individuals in their 60s and those in the Gyeonggi-do region. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and systemic lupus erythematosus with organ or system involvement were the most common rare diseases among males and females, respectively. Crohn’s disease of the small and large intestine was the most frequent among those in their 10s and 20s, autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease among those in their 30s to 50s, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis among those aged 60 and older, which last also incurred the highest total annual medical expenditure.
Conclusions: The Annual Report has enhanced analytical accuracy and comprehensiveness through data refinement and statistical expansion. Future efforts should be directed to a transition from incidence-centered statistics to the establishment of a longitudinal data infrastructure that records incidence rates, survival rates, and the overall prevalence of rare diseases.

Objectives: The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency conducts simulation training to enhance the response capabilities of Epidemiological Investigation and Response Teams (ERTs). We analyzed training demands among Central and Local ERTs following nine scenario-based training sessions in 2025.
Methods: A survey was administered to 269 participants: 97 training debriefing attendees on-site (November 28, 2025) and 172 Central ERTs online (December 1–5, 2025) using a self-developed questionnaire that covered respondent characteristics, training topics, and methods. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and group differences via chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests.
Results: The preferred topics among the 133 respondents (response rate 49.4%; 95 Central, 38 Local ERTs; 74.4% female; median age 43.0; 5.0 years’ experience) were respiratory (41.4%) diseases and water- and food-borne diseases (33.8%), and responses to mass gathering events (48.9%) and disaster events (46.6%). There was a significantly higher demand for diseases of unknown origin, non-communicable diseases, and mass gathering responses among Central ERTs. Conversely, Local ERTs prioritized training for water- and food-borne diseases and educational/healthcare facility outbreaks. Risk communication (46.6%) and risk assessment (45.9%) were equally prioritized by both groups, and problem-based learning (PBL, 57.1%) and field-linked practical training (51.9%) were the preferred methodologies.
Conclusions: Given the differing preferences reported, future training should be tailored to reflect each team’s mission. Tailored scenarios should be developed that would enable Local ERTs to focus on community-level educational/healthcare facility outbreaks, while Central ERTs would concentrate on complex cases requiring coordination with the competent ministries or precise etiological investigations. Finally, it is necessary to maintain PBL methods and strengthen capabilities in areas like risk communication and assessment.