PHWR Public Health Weekly Report

Vol.18 No.30, July 31, 2025 Article TypeQuickStatsSurveillance Reports

• Surveillance Reports 2025-07-31

  0 335 79

  Pilot Project for Early Diagnosis of Malaria Infection Using a Hematology Analyzer

  Hee-Eun Shin , Hyun-Il Shin , Myoung-Ro Lee , Jung-Won Ju , Hee-Il Lee

  Public Health Weekly Report 2025; 18(30): 1123-1135 https://doi.org/10.56786/PHWR.2025.18.30.1

  

  

  Abstract

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  Objectives: Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that occurs mainly in areas near the demilitarized zone in the Republic of Korea (ROK). The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency is implementing a second Malaria Re-elimination Action Plan (2024–2028) to achieve malaria elimination by 2030. The active and early diagnosis of malaria is essential to achieve this goal. Therefore, a pilot project using hematological analysis was planned and implemented to enable the early detection of malaria in asymptomatic or unsuspected individuals.
  Methods: A total of 47 medical institutions (including public health centers, hospitals, military hospitals, and commercial reference laboratories) in malaria-risk areas participated in this pilot project. When infected red blood cells (iRBC) were identified through hematological analysis, individuals were classified as suspected cases and referred for confirmatory malaria testing. Monthly data were collected and analyzed to determine the number of iRBC detections, confirmatory tests for malaria, and malaria-positive cases.
  Results: Between April and October 2024, among 7.27 million hematologic analyses, 1,359 cases of iRBC were detected. Among the 499 cases referred for confirmatory diagnosis, 239 were confirmed as malaria positive.
  Conclusions: In terms of improving malaria control, it is important to confirm the possibility of an early malaria diagnosis using the existing medical systems without additional budget and human resources. Proactive confirmatory testing for individuals with iRBC, along with the appropriate funding support, can significantly enhance the early detection of infections and serve as an effective strategy for achieving malaria elimination goals in ROK.

• Surveillance Reports 2025-07-31

  0 174 72

  Analysis of the Occurrence of Pathogenic Vibrio spp. and Their Correlation with Environmental Factors in the Marine Ecosystem of the Chungcheong Region

  Dong Geun Lee , Youngsil Yoon , Jun Ho Jeon

  Public Health Weekly Report 2025; 18(30): 1136-1150 https://doi.org/10.56786/PHWR.2025.18.30.2

  

  

  Abstract

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  Objectives: Pathogenic Vibrio spp. are causative agents for waterborne and foodborne diseases. Since 2021, the Division of Laboratory Diagnosis Analysis of the Chungcheong Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention has been conducting a surveillance project in collaboration with regional quarantine offices in the Chungcheong area to analyze the correlation between these pathogens and environmental factors in the marine ecosystem of the Chungcheong region.
  Methods: A total of 126 seawater samples were collected from seven sites, and pathogenic Vibrio spp. were identified through bacterial culture, molecular, and biochemical testing.
  Results: Gene detection tests revealed Vibrio parahaemolyticus to be the highest (71.4%), followed by Vibrio vulnificus (32.5%) and non-O1/non-O139 Vibrio cholerae (17.5%). Bacterial culture isolated V. vulnificus and non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae at 7.9% and 4.8% detection rates, respectively. Analysis of the correlation between marine environmental factors and the detection rate of pathogenic Vibrio spp. revealed a positive correlation with seawater temperature showing a correlation coefficient of 0.751 and air temperature of 0.674, indicating a strong correlation with Vibrio detection rates.
  Conclusions: Climatic change increases sea surface temperatures that facilitate the growth of Vibrio spp. in the marine ecosystem. For public health concerns, growth of pathogenic Vibrio spp. should be continuously monitored in the marine ecosystem of the Chungcheong region.

• QuickStats 2025-07-31

  0 280 68

  Trends in the Prevalence of Current Drinking among Korean Adolescents, 2015–2024

  Hye Su Hong

  Public Health Weekly Report 2025; 18(30): 1151-1152 https://doi.org/10.56786/PHWR.2025.18.30.3

  

  

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