PHWR Public Health Weekly Report

Vol.13 No.17, April 23, 2020 Article TypeCOVID-19 Special ReportEpidemiology and Surveillance

• COVID-19 Special Report 2020-04-23

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  Weekly report on the COVID-19 situation in the Republic of Korea (As of April 18, 2020)

  Kim Miyoung, Kweon Sanghui, Lee Jung Hyun, Baek Soojin, Jeon Byoung-Hak, Yoo Hyosoon, Park Young Joon, Gwack Jin, Park Ok

  Public Health Weekly Report 2020; 13(17): 1078-1091

  

  

  Abstract

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  This is a weekly report on the COVID-19 situation in the Republic of Korea based on the confirmed cases reported through the Integrated System to Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention according to the INFECTIOUS DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION ACT and based on the epidemiological investigation by central and local health authorities.
  As of April 18, 2020, there were 10,669 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and including 234 deaths. Confirmed cases were reported in all 17 provinces/cities in Korea, with the highest number of cases from Daegu, Gyeongbuk, Seoul, and Gyeonggi. The results indicated that, by gender, women accounted for a slightly higher proportion (59.7%, n=6,369) of total confirmed cases than men. And, by age the median age was 44 years old (range: 0 to 104 years old).
  The main infectious paths confirmed by epidemiological investigations showed several major clusters related to COVID-19. Of the total cases, the proportion of imported cases was 9.4% (n=1,004); 48.9% (n=5,213) were Shincheonji (and related); 32.9% (n=3,505) are small clusters and contacts of confirmed cases (other than Shincheonji); and 8.9% (n=947) are currently under investigation as per infection route surveys.

• Epidemiology and Surveillance 2020-04-23

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  2019 World Malaria Report

  Shin Hyun-Il, Lee Sang-Eun, Lee Hee-Il, Cho Shin-Hyeong

  Public Health Weekly Report 2020; 13(17): 1092-1105

  

  

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  Among the five species of malaria, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax have the greatest impact on public health. P. falciparum is most prevalent in the African continent and a major cause of deaths by malaria. P. vivax has a wider geographical distribution than P. falciparum.
  In 2018, it was estimated that the number of infected cases and malaria-related deaths increased to 228 million and 405,000, respectively. Regionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that most cases in 2018 occurred in the African Region (93%), followed by the South-East Asian Region (3.4%) and the Eastern Mediterranean Region (2.1%). Similarly, it was estimated that most deaths (94%) in 2018 were reported in the African Region, followed by the South-East Asian Region (3%), the Eastern Mediterranean Region (2%), and the Western Pacific Region (1%). Many countries are moving forward to elimination. The number of countries with less than 10,000 malaria cases increased from 40 in 2010 to 49 in 2018.
  The Division of Vectors and Parasitic Diseases in the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) continuous to cooperate with international and national agencies to control or eliminate malaria.

• Epidemiology and Surveillance 2020-04-23

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  Monitoring of Malaria Vector Mosquitoes and Plasmodium vivax Infection in the Republic of Korea, 2019

  Kim Hyunah, Lee Sang-Eun, Lee Hee il, Cho Shin-Hyeong

  Public Health Weekly Report 2020; 13(17): 1106-1115

  

  

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  Malaria is a febrile infectious disease transmitted by a female mosquito of the genus Anopheline. It is known that five species worldwide cause malaria. However, in the Republic of Korea (ROK), Plasmodium vivax is an indigenous disease. Proper malaria management requires early diagnosis and treatment of patients. Vector management is also important. To investigate and monitor the density and protozoal infection rate of malaria-borne mosquitoes, this study conducted a survey at 44 sites located in one metropolitan city and two provinces(Incheon metropolitan city, Gyeonggi and Gangwon Provinces). In 2019, the trap index (TI) of malaria vector mosquitoes was 92, down from 215 in the average year (2014-2018) and down 51.1% from 188 in the previous year (2018). In 2019, the highest density was reported in July, seven weeks ahead of the average year when the highest density of malaria vector mosquitoes was reported in August. The Plasmodium vivax infection of malaria vector mosquitoes was tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR results indicated that the minimum infection rate was 1.2 with 23 P. vivax positive pools among 1,765 tested pools. This study’s results were uploaded to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) homepage along with other weekly results.

• Epidemiology and Surveillance 2020-04-23

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  The Malaria Situation and the Results of the Project to Eliminate Malaria, 2019

  Kwon Jeong Ran, Jeon Byoung-Hak, Park Kyeongeun, Park Sookkyung, Kim Miyoung, Cho Eun Hee, Lee Hee-Il, Lee Sang-Eun

  Public Health Weekly Report 2020; 13(17): 1116-1129

  

  

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  This paper is a report on the current status of malaria and the results of the “Malaria Re-Elimination Five-Year Action Plan(2019-2023)” developed and implemented in 2019.
  Of the 559 malaria confirmed cases reported in 2019, a total of 485(86.8%) were indigenous cases, 74(13.2%) were imported cases. which accounted for 93%(520) of all patients occurring between May and October, 2019. Among the indigenous cases, persumptive infected region were investigated from Gyeonggi province 314(64.7%), Incheon province 98(20.2%), Gangwon Province 25(5.2%) and 48(9.9%) was unknown.
  226 persons(46.6%) was aged 20s to 30s; 389(80.2%) were male, 96(19.8%) were female. Of them, 364 cases(75.1%) were civilians and 70 cases(14.4%) were soldiers serving near the demilitarized zone(DMZ), others 51 cases(10.2%) were veterans.
  The main goals in 2019 under the five-year plan to eliminate malaria were to add diagnostic criteria for rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases, strengthen patient management by changing the amount of therapeutic agents per weight, and monitor the media through the expansion of each vector control and surveillance and protozoal infection rate. In addition, to expand research and development, the goal was to strengthen control, develop a discrimination diagnosis method for patients with recurrence and long-term incubation period, and conduct research on drug treatment monitoring for patients with malaria. Furthermore, as a result of the project, education and R&D were expanded to strengthen the medical-military cooperation system.

• Epidemiology and Surveillance 2020-04-23

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  An Analysis of Active Tuberculosis Progress in the National Latent Tuberculosis Infection Cohort

  Kim Hyung Woo, Min Jinsoo, Kim Ju Sang, Kim Gahee, Chun Chaemin, In Hye Kyung, Shim Eun Hye

  Public Health Weekly Report 2020; 13(17): 1130-1147

  

  

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  To drastically reduce the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in Korea, the national latent tuberculosis screening project was implemented since 2017. The project was focused on group facility workers, high school first grade students, individuals subject to the military draft physical examination, and inmates in correctional facilities. In this project, among the individuals who were latent TB infection positive, the treatment start rate was 35.23% and the treatment completion rate was 29.16%. Only 41.79% of the individuals who were TB positive visited a medical institution or health center after diagnosis of latent TB infection and 84.30% of visitors started treatment. According to the results of tracking the occurrence of active TB in patients with latent TB, Interferon-Gamma Releasing Assay (IGRA) positive among group facility workers had an active TB incidence rate 16.3 times higher than TB negative individuals even if they had not had clear contact with TB, and showed a preventive effect of 82% when they completed latent TB treatment.
  Most of the cohort targets in this project were people of working age, and despite domestic and international studies that indicated increases in the risk of TB, the effect of comorbidities was not clearly documented in this study.