Epidemiology and Health

COVID-19: Brief Communication

Trends in gastrointestinal infections before and during non-pharmaceutical interventions in Korea in comparison with the United States: Soyeoun Kim, Jinhyun Kim, Bo Youl Choi, Boyoung Park; Epidemiol Health. 2022;44:e2022011. Published online January 3, 2022; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2022011; Correction in: Epidemiol Health 2022;44(0):e2022011.E

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Abstract

OBJECTIVES
This study examined how trends in the weekly frequencies of gastrointestinal infectious diseases changed before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Korea, and compared them with the trends in the United States.

METHODS

We compared the weekly frequencies of gastrointestinal infectious diseases (16 bacterial and 6 viral diseases) in Korea during weeks 5-52 before and after COVID-19. In addition, the weekly frequencies of 5 gastrointestinal infectious diseases in the United States (data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) that overlapped with those in Korea were compared.

RESULTS

The mean weekly number of total cases of gastrointestinal infectious diseases in Korea showed a significant decrease (from 522 before COVID-19 to 245 after COVID-19, p<0.01). Only bacterial gastrointestinal infectious diseases caused by Campylobacter increased significantly; other bacterial gastrointestinal infectious diseases showed either a decrease or no change. The incidence of all other viral diseases decreased. In the United States, the weekly numbers of Salmonella, Campylobacter, typhoid, shigellosis, and hepatitis A virus cases sharply decreased after the COVID-19 outbreak. The weekly case numbers of all viral diseases markedly decreased in both countries; however, bacterial gastrointestinal infectious diseases showed a different pattern.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of gastrointestinal infectious diseases decreased after the COVID-19 outbreak. In contrast, Campylobacter infections showed an increasing trend in Korea, but a decreasing trend in the United States. Further studies are needed to elucidate the different trends in bacterial and viral infectious diseases before and after non-pharmaceutical interventions and between different countries.

Summary

Korean summary
한국과 미국 모두 코로나-19 발생 이후 위장관 감염 질환의 발생은 감소하고 있습니다. 하지만, 미국과 달리 한국에서는 캄필로박터 감염은 증가 하고 있습니다. 이는 COVID-19이 발생한 이후 캄필로박터 감염의 열악한 통제의 가능성을 설명할 수 있습니다.

Key Message
The incidence of gastrointestinal infectious diseases decreased after the COVID-19 outbreak, however, campylobacter infections showed an increasing trend in Korea, unlike the United States, which could explain the poor control of Campylobacter.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on the circulation of other pathogens in England
Lauren J. Hayes, Hannah Uri, Denisa Bojkova, Jindrich Cinatl, Mark N. Wass, Martin Michaelis
Journal of Medical Virology.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
Understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic response on GI infection surveillance trends in England, January 2020–April 2022
Nicola K. Love, Amy Douglas, Saheer Gharbia, Helen Hughes, Roger Morbey, Isabel Oliver, Gillian E. Smith, Alex J. Elliot
Epidemiology and Infection.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
Trends for Syndromic Surveillance of Norovirus in Emergency Department Data Based on Chief Complaints
Soyeoun Kim, Sohee Kim, Bo Youl Choi, Boyoung Park
The Journal of Infectious Diseases.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
Trends in Gastrointestinal Infections during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Concerns of Post-Pandemic Resurgence in Japan
Takuma Higurashi, Shigeki Tamura, Noboru Misawa, Nobuyuki Horita
Diseases.2023; 12(1): 4. CrossRef
Characteristics and related factors of waterborne and foodborne infectious disease outbreaks before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (2017–2021) in the Republic of Korea: a descriptive study
Eunkyoung Kim, Bryan Inho Kim
Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives.2023; 14(6): 483. CrossRef

Original Article

The epidemiology of amoebiasis in Thi-Qar Province, Iraq (2015-2020): differentiation of Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar using nested and real-time polymerase chain reaction: Mohammed Hassan Flaih, Ruaa Majid Khazaal, Manar Karem Kadhim, Khwam Reissan Hussein, Falah Abd Bashir Alhamadani; Epidemiol Health. 2021;43:e2021034. Published online May 6, 2021; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2021034

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Abstract Summary PDF

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The objective of this study was to evaluate the present status of amoebiasis in Thi-Qar Province in southern Iraq, and to determine the presence of Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar with nested and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

METHODS

Epidemiological data were obtained from the public health department of the Thi-Qar Health Office (2015-2020). Eighty stool samples were also randomly collected from patients ≤12 year of age with diarrhea at 2 hospitals between the beginning of February 2020 and the end of October 2020. These samples were selected after microscopy to identify the 18S rRNA gene in Entamoeba DNA.

RESULTS

Of the 341,554 cases of intestinal parasitic infections, 38,004 (11.1%) individuals were recorded as having amoebiasis, which accounted for the highest proportion of infections in 2015 (26.1%) and the lowest in 2020 (8.1%). Amoebiasis was distributed among all age groups, with the age group of 5-14 years accounting for the highest proportion (27.3%). In molecular testing, 42 (52.5%) out of 80 samples were positive for the 18S rRNA gene (888 bp). Using nested PCR, E. histolytica (439 bp) was detected in 25 (31.3%) samples and E. dispar (174 bp) in 14 (17.5%), while using real-time PCR, E. histolytica and E. dispar were detected in 28 (35.0%) and 15 (18.8%) samples, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Epidemiological data confirmed that amoebiasis is endemic in this province, and is not limited to certain months. Our study confirms the applicability of molecular identification to detect pathogenic and non-pathogenic Entamoeba to prescribe the appropriate drug.

Summary

Key Message
Our study conducted an epidemiologic evaluation of amoebiasis (2015-2020). Amoebiasis is considered a health burden and uncontrolled disease, is endemic in Thi-Qar Province, and is not related with certain months. This study suggests that molecular diagnosis is necessary before the treatment. Both Nested and RT PCR assays are beneficial to diagnose Entamoeba spp.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Molecular Detection of a Pathogenic Entamoeba among Symptomatic Children in Eastern Kurdistan of Iraq
Sham Jamil Abdullah, Shahnaz Abdulkader Ali
Polish Journal of Microbiology.2024; 73(1): 99. CrossRef
Global burden and trends of the Entamoeba infection-associated diseases from 1990 to 2019: An observational trend study
Xiaofang Fu, Yonghong Zhong, Liyan Chen, Minjie Ge, Min Yu, Yibo Sun, Linfeng Shen
Acta Tropica.2023; 240: 106866. CrossRef

Brief Communication

Relationship between shipping amounts of olive flounder aquacultured from Jejudo and the reported events of acute food poisoning by Kudoa septempunctata in 2015, South Korea: an ecological study: Jong-Myon Bae; Epidemiol Health. 2017;39:e2017041. Published online September 6, 2017; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2017041

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Abstract Summary PDF Supplementary Material

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Confirmation of Kudoa septempunctata (K. septempunctata) as the pathogenic agent causing acute food poisoning remains under debate owing to inconsistencies in the reproducibility of experimental evidence. Higher intake of olive flounder infected with K. septempunctata would result in increased diagnosis of food poisoning by K. septempunctata, if the latter was one of the causal agents of acute food poisoning. The aim was to evaluate the relationship between the shipping amount of olive flounder aquacultured from Jejudo and the incidence of K. septempunctata food poisoning in 2015, Korea.

METHODS

Data of shipping amounts between March 2014 and February 2016 and of monthly reported events of Kudoa food poisoning were taken from Jejudo Fish-Culture Fisheries Cooperatives and Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, respectively. Non-parametric correlation analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

Shipping amounts indicated the seasonal changes according to variation of consumption. Spearman’s rho and Kendall’s tau-a between the monthly shipping amounts and the reported events in 2015 were 0.39 (p=0.21) and 0.27 (p=0.20), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

An independent relationship was noted between the shipping amount and the reported events, which contrasted with the claim that the virulence of K. septempunctata caused acute food poisoning.

Summary

Korean summary
질병관리본부가 보고한 2015년도 쿠도아 식중독 발생 사례의 월별 분포와, 같은 기간에 제주도 수산협동조합이 국내 시장에 제공한 출하량 간의 상관성 (correlation)을 알아보았을 때, 유의한 관련성이 없었다. 이는 칠성 쿠도아충이 급성식중독을 일으킨다는 주장을 의심케 하는 근거의 하나이다.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

An update of the species of Myxosporea (Cnidaria, Myxozoa) described from Indian fish
Jorge C. Eiras, Gyan Deb Barman, Sukanya Chanda, Ashis Kumar Panigrahi
Journal of Parasitic Diseases.2023; 47(1): 12. CrossRef
Additional experimental and epidemiologic studies for evaluating pathogenecity of Kudoa septempunctata should be needed
Jong-Myon Bae
International Journal of Food Microbiology.2018; 266: 222. CrossRef

Perspective

Is there evidence that Kudoa septempunctata can cause an outbreak of acute food poisoning?: Young-Bae Chung, Jong-Myon Bae; Epidemiol Health. 2017;39:e2017004. Published online January 30, 2017; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2017004

18,275 View
344 Download
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Abstract Summary PDF Supplementary Material

Abstract

After publishing results of a study that revealed diarrheagenic and emetic activity in 4-5-day old mice infected with Kudoa septempunctata (K. septempunctata) spores, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 11 events of “Kudoa food poisoning” in 2015. The epidemiological design of the previous study was descriptive rather than analytical; therefore, this study aimed to further investigate the pathogenicity of K. septempunctata. Academic articles showing evidence of the pathogenicity of K. septempunctata were searched via PubMed using the citation discovery tool. Information regarding the kinds of experimental animals and inoculum spores used, as well as study results were extracted. Four articles evaluating the pathogenicity of Myxospran parasites were selected; the first article suggested the pathogenicity of K. septempunctata, while the remaining three articles reported no abnormal symptoms or histopathologic changes. Our findings indicate that there is weak evidence supporting the pathogenicity of K. septempunctata. Further studies evaluating the pathogenicity of K. septempunctata are needed urgently.

Summary

Korean summary
“질병관리본부는 2015년 쿠도아충 환자 사례조사 (cases reports)를 발표하였다. 제주산 광어에서 발견되는 칠성쿠도아충이 급성 식중독을 일으키는 병인 원충이라는 주장과 관련한 병인성 (pathogenicity) 근거들을 정리한 결과 실험실적 근거에 일관성이 없었다. 이렇게 실험실적 근거가 불충분한 상황에서, 오직 환자사례 결과들만으로 칠성쿠도아충을 급성식중독의 역학적 인과성 (epidemiologic causality)을 부여하는 것은 과학적 타당성이 떨어진다.”

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Molecular detection and genotype analysis of Kudoa septempunctata from food poisoning outbreaks in Korea
Gyung-Hye Sung, In-Ji Park, Hee-Soo Koo, Eun-Hee Park, Mi-Ok Lee
Parasites, Hosts and Diseases.2023; 61(1): 15. CrossRef
Detection and characterization of Kudoa thunni from uncooked yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) in Southeast Asia
Truong Dinh Hoai, Doan Thi Nhinh, Nguyen Thi Huong Giang, Saengchan Senapin, Ha Thanh Dong
Parasitology International.2022; 87: 102536. CrossRef
Morphometric and molecular characterization of Kudoa encrasicoli n. sp. (Myxozoa: Myxosporea) from the European anchovy, Engraulis encrasicolus (L.) (Clupeiformes: Engraulidae)
Raúl Iglesias, Luís Filipe Rangel, Fabio Fernández-Vázquez, Maria João Santos, José M. García-Estévez
Systematic Parasitology.2022; 99(5): 621. CrossRef
Immune-triggering effect of the foodborne parasite Kudoa septempunctata through the C-type lectin Mincle in HT29 cells
Ji-Hun Shin, Jung-Pyo Yang, Seung-Hwan Seo, Sang-Gyun Kim, Eun-Min Kim, Do-Won Ham, Eun-Hee Shin
BMB Reports.2020; 53(9): 478. CrossRef
First report of Myxobolus (Cnidaria: Myxozoa) spores in human feces in Brazil
Lisiane Lappe dos REIS, Lucas Carvalho de JESUS, Ormezinda Celeste Christo FERNANDES, David Eduardo BARROSO
Acta Amazonica.2019; 49(2): 162. CrossRef
Additional experimental and epidemiologic studies for evaluating pathogenecity of Kudoa septempunctata should be needed
Jong-Myon Bae
International Journal of Food Microbiology.2018; 266: 222. CrossRef
Foodborne Illness Outbreaks in Gyeonggi Province, Korea, Following Seafood Consumption Potentially Caused by <italic>Kudoa septempunctata</italic> between 2015 and 2016
Joon Jai Kim, Sukhyun Ryu, Heeyoung Lee
Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives.2018; 9(2): 66. CrossRef
Analysis of Kudoa septempunctata as a cause of foodborne illness and its associated differential diagnosis
Sung Uk Lee
Epidemiology and Health.2017; 39: e2017014. CrossRef
Production of a novel monoclonal antibody applicable for an immunochromatographic assay for Kudoa septempunctata spores contaminating the raw olive flounder ( Paralichthys olivaceus )
Michio Jinnai, Takao Kawai, Tetsuya Harada, Yasutaka Nishiyama, Hiroshi Yokoyama, Sho Shirakashi, Hiroshi Sato, Junko Sakata, Yuko Kumeda, Yutaka Fukuda, Kikuyo Ogata, Kentaro Kawatsu
International Journal of Food Microbiology.2017; 259: 59. CrossRef
Relationship between shipping amounts of olive flounder aquacultured from Jejudo and the reported events of acute food poisoning by Kudoa septempunctata in 2015, South Korea: an ecological study
Jong-Myon Bae
Epidemiology and Health.2017; 39: e2017041. CrossRef

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