PHWR Public Health Weekly Report

Vol.18 No.33, August 21, 2025 Article TypeOriginal ArticleQuickStats

• Original Article 2025-08-21

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  Comparison of Scrub Typhus Cases Before and After the Revision of the Reporting Criteria

  Ho-Jin Nam , Sl-Ki Lim , Dong-Hwi Kim , So-Dam Lee , Do-Hyeong Kim , Jong-hee Kim

  Public Health Weekly Report 2025; 18(33): 1223-1235 https://doi.org/10.56786/PHWR.2025.18.33.1

  

  

  Abstract

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  Objectives: Scrub typhus is a rickettsial infection caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, with peak incidence during autumn in the Republic of Korea. To improve the accuracy of surveillance data and to assess the magnitude of recent infections, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency revised the case definition on September 11, 2024. The updated definition requires both the presence of an eschar and a positive presumptive test result for clinical case reporting. This study examines the impact of this revision on case classification, diagnosis, and epidemiological trends.
  Methods: To compare trends before and after the revision, we analyzed cases from September 11 to December 31 in 2022, 2023, and 2024, focusing on demographic characteristics, presence of eschar, and diagnostic methods. Monthly trends of suspected cases were also reviewed: 5,239 cases in 2024 and 52 provisional cases in January–April 2025.
  Results: According to the revised criteria, from September 11 to December 31, 2024, the proportion of suspected cases decreased by 12.5% compared to the same period of previous year, and cases with confirmed eschars increased by 1,235. From January to April 2025, the number of suspected cases declined by 86.4% compared to the previous year. Among the 236 patients without a visible eschar, 93 (39.4%) tested negative according to immunochromatographic assay/indirect immunofluorescence assay testing but positive according to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, which led them to be classified as confirmed cases.
  Conclusions: Revising the reporting criteria to include eschar confirmation improved diagnostic accuracy and compliance. The decrease in suspected cases during the non-epidemic season (January–March) contributed to a more accurate surveillance of recent infections. Eschar confirmation should be emphasized during presumptive diagnosis, and PCR testing should be conducted if an eschar is not identified.

• Original Article 2025-08-21

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  Current Hepatitis C Status among People Who Use Drugs in the Republic of Korea

  Gwang Hyeon Choi , Young-Hoon Chon , Do Hoon Kwon , Sung Nam Jo , Og-Jin Jang , Dahye Baik , Eun Sun Jang , Min Kyung Park , Oeuk Jeong , Min Jin Go , Jungyeon Kim , Sook-Hyang Jeong

  Public Health Weekly Report 2025; 18(33): 1236-1257 https://doi.org/10.56786/PHWR.2025.18.33.2

  

  

  Abstract

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  Objectives: While the number of persons who use drugs (PWUD) in the Republic of Korea (ROK) is increasing, studies on hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among this population are scarce. We investigated HCV prevalence and treatment rates among PWUD.
  Methods: Between August 2022 and May 2024, 342 PWUD from four hospitals were prospectively enrolled in this study. These four hospitals cover 95% of PWUD care in ROK. All participants underwent blood testing and completed questionnaires. Participants whose HCV antibody (anti-HCV) test result was positive underwent a reflex test for HCV RNA. Participants were divided into persons who inject drugs (PWID) and non-PWID groups based on their use of drugs by injection.
  Results: PWID and non-PWID groups comprised 92.1% and 7.9% of total patients, respectively (median age, 46 years; 76.0% male). In the PWID group, respective anti-HCV and HCV RNA prevalences were 32.4% and 11.1%. In the non-PWID group, respective anti-HCV and HCV RNA prevalences were 18.5% and 3.7%. HCV RNA positivity independently associated with sharing of syringes (odds ratio [OR] 3.300, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.236–8.850) and piercings performed before 1992 (OR 8.336, 95% CI 1.654–42.008, p=0.010). Among anti-HCV-positive patients, HCV infection awareness was 74.8%, and their treatment rate was 53.3%. The only independent factor associated with treatment history was knowledge on the HCV infection (OR 5.076, 95% CI 1.328–12.231, p=0.018). In the PWID and non-PWID groups with anti-HCV positivity, 34.3% and 20.0%, respectively, remained HCV RNA-positive due to untreated hepatitis C.
  Conclusions: Anti-HCV seropositivity and HCV RNA positivity were high in both PWID and non-PWID groups compared to general population, and these patients’ access to care was insufficient. It is thus necessary to develop strategies to increase HCV treatment access for PWUD.

• QuickStats 2025-08-21

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  Trends in the Proportion of People Who Use Nutrition Facts Label When Purchasing Processed Foods, 2014–2023

  Sungha Yun

  Public Health Weekly Report 2025; 18(33): 1258-1259 https://doi.org/10.56786/PHWR.2025.18.33.3

  

  

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