PHWR Public Health Weekly Report

Vol.14 No.31, July 29, 2021 Article TypeEpidemiology and SurveillanceNoncommunicable Disease Statistics

• Epidemiology and Surveillance 2021-07-29

  0 313 168

  Investigation of the distribution of antibodies to Legionella pneumophila from suspected Legionellosis, South Korea, 2018-2020

  Lee Jin, Kim Donghyeok, Hwang Kyu Jam, Yoo Jae-il, Chun Jeong-Hoon, Jung Sang Oun

  Public Health Weekly Report 2021; 14(31): 2223-2228

  

  

  Abstract

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  Legionella is inhaled into the body the natural and artificial water systems, causing Legionellosis, which presents clinical symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever. The leading cause of Legionellosis is L. pneumophila, with 16 serogroups known to date. Among them, serogroup1-6 is reported to be the leading causative pathogen of Legionellosis. In South Korea, indirect immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) method is used for L. pneumopila SG1-6 to diagnose Legionella as an antibody detection test method. In this study, antibody distribution for L. pneumophila SG7-15 was investigated in addition to L. pneumophila SG1-6, in order to analyze the status of Legionella infection in South Korea. As commissioned by the Institute for Health and Environment; from 2018 to 2020, 761 serum cases of suspected Legionella patients were collected and antibodies of 1:128 or more were determined to be positive in a single serum according to the legal infection diagnosis criteria. Analysis of the antibody distribution type for L. pneumophila SG1-15 in suspected Legionellosis showed an estimated positive rate of 4.7% (n=33). The estimated positive rate for L. pneumophila SG1-6 was 2.1% (n=16) and the estimated positive rate for SG7-15 was 2.6% (n=20). SG12 had the highest detection frequency of 1:128 or higher according to L. pneumophila SG, followed by SG8 and SG5 at a rate of 14.8% and 11.1% respectively. Through this study, the distribution of antibodies under L. pneumophila SG is expected to be used as basic data on the cumulative and potential development of Legionella.

• Epidemiology and Surveillance 2021-07-29

  0 258 141

  Relationship between RT-PCR Ct Values and Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of COVID-19 in Sejong City

  An Seonuk, Gwak Jeongseon, Kwon Sooyoung, Baek Seolwha, Bae Heuisoon, Kwon Geun-Yong, Kim Sungmin

  Public Health Weekly Report 2021; 14(31): 2229-2239

  

  

  Abstract

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  Regarding the outbreak of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) infection, Sejong City has limited information about its confirmed cases to establish responding system. The aim of this study was to provide Sejong city with supporting data by identifying characteristics of confirmed cases and analyzing the relationship between Ct values and those characteristics.
  A total of 361 confirmed cases collected from February 22nd, 2020 to April 30th, 2021 were used for the present study.
  The results showed that, compared to nation-wide statistics, more confirmed cases were found among people aged 19 and under (19.7%) and among people aged 40-49 (26.6%), and fewer cases were found in people aged 60 and over (14.1%). Fever (40.9%), sore throat (23.6%), cough (18.2%), and headache (12.0%) frequently presented as symptoms and there were more than twice as many symptomatic cases reported as asymptomatic ones. The Ct values in RdRp gene and E gene of those with symptoms were lower than those of asymptomatic cases. More specifically, the Ct values of those with fever, headache, and myalgia were statistically lower while there was no difference between people with respiratory symptoms and those without. In addition, the confirmed cases from foreign countries showed higher Ct values than domestic cases. Notably, the longer the days were until diagnosis, the higher the Ct values.
  Based on the results of the present analysis, a future study pursuing the follow-up data of confirmed cases is needed in order to construct a concrete response system for this prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

• Noncommunicable Disease Statistics 2021-07-29

  0 172 161

  Occurrence of drowning accident

  Public Health Weekly Report 2021; 14(31): 2240-2243

  

  

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