PHWR Public Health Weekly Report

Vol.17 No.50, December 26, 2024 Article TypeOutbreak ReportsQuickStatsSurveillance Reports

• Outbreak Reports 2024-12-26

  0 164 17

  The Case of a Tuberculosis Outbreak and Response at A Psychiatric Hospital in Daegu Metropolitan City

  Jieun Park , Dahee Lee , Jiwon Yu , Youngmi Kim , Sang Yun Cho

  Public Health Weekly Report 2024; 17(50): 2239-2257 https://doi.org/10.56786/PHWR.2024.17.50.1

  

  

  Abstract

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  Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and transmitted via the respiratory tract. When an infectious tuberculosis case arises in a group facility, an epidemiological investigation is conducted to identify contacts and detect active tuberculosis or latent tuberculosis infections (LTBI). In February 2023, a tuberculosis patient was reported from a psychiatric hospital in Daegu Metropolitan City. Through field investigations, the tuberculosis epidemiology investigation team identified 2 additional tuberculosis cases and 54 LTBI cases, confirming an outbreak. Follow-up investigations revealed two more tuberculosis cases among individuals previously diagnosed with LTBI, and an additional two tuberculosis cases were identified through routine surveillance. Evidently, all subsequent tuberculosis cases emerged among contacts who were identified during the initial field investigation. The outbreak was traced to a single tuberculosis patient, who had been present in the psychiatric hospital—a high-risk facility—for over 18 months. Genotype testing of culture-positive patients confirmed the same tuberculosis strain, linking all cases to the index patient. Psychiatric hospitals, as infection-prone environments, require robust control measures, including the prompt identification and treatment of both active tuberculosis and LTBI cases, to prevent further transmission.

• Surveillance Reports 2024-12-26

  0 256 30

  Current Status of Surveillance and Management for Maintaining Polio Eradication in the Republic of Korea

  Eunbyeol Wang , Soonryu Seo , Dongkeun Kim , Young Eun Kang , Kye Ryeong Park , Myung Guk Han , Min Woo Park , Tae Jong Son , Wookeon Lee , Dong-Woo Lee , Ok Soo Kim , Jin Seon Yang

  Public Health Weekly Report 2024; 17(50): 2258-2270 https://doi.org/10.56786/PHWR.2024.17.50.2

  

  

  Abstract

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  Polioviruses cause poliomyelitis; no cases have been reported in the Republic of Korea (ROK) since 1984. In 2000, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated the country as a polio-free country. Polio-free countries are required to submit annual reports in order to maintain their status. The current report summarizes the 2024 annual report submitted to the 30th Regional Commission for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication. In the ROK, the risk of polio is low owing to high vaccination rates; however, the risk of poliovirus infection cannot be dismissed completely due to the increase in the number of foreign immigrants and international travel. In addition, polio is endemic in countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as in certain African nations. In July 2024, the 38th Emergency Committee stated that polio will continue to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, necessitating enhanced surveillance efforts. Moreover, complementary surveillance through environmental monitoring was introduced to detect the circulation of wild-type and vaccine-derived polioviruses in communities. Continuous encouragement of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance has allowed the ROK to meet the WHO standards (above 1.0) for the first time in 4 years since 2019. In August this year, the National Certification Committee confirmed that the ROK’s polio-free country status has been maintained. Regular training and awareness programs are necessary to improve the quality of AFP surveillance, and efforts should be made to enhance reporting by establishing an “automated reporting system for AFP cases.”

• QuickStats 2024-12-26

  1 77 16

  Trends of Survival and Brain Function Recovery in Sudden Cardiac Arrest Patients, 2013–2023

  Public Health Weekly Report 2024; 17(50): 2271-2272 https://doi.org/10.56786/PHWR.2024.17.50.3

  

  

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