Epidemiology and Health

MERS-Epidemiologic Investigations

Epidemiological investigation of the 119th confirmed Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus case with an indefinite mode of transmission during the Pyeongtaek outbreak in Korea: Jong Hyuk Choi, Byoungin Yoo, Soon Young Lee, Eun Gyu Lee, Moran Ki, Woncheol Lee, Jong Rak Jung, Kyujin Chang; Epidemiol Health. 2015;37:e2015054. Published online December 10, 2015; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih/e2015054

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Abstract

Since the first case was diagnosed on May 20, 2015, there were 186 confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) until the end of outbreak in South Korea. Although medical institutions were the most identifiable sources of MERS transmission in South Korea, similar to other countries, in-depth epidemiological investigation was required for some confirmed cases with indefinite contact history or hospital visit records. The subject of epidemiological investigation in the present study was a 35 year-old male patient diagnosed with MERS (#119) who lived in Asan-city and worked in Pyeongtaek-city. Various potential sources of transmission were carefully investigated. While he could have been exposed to MERS through a friend from Saudi Arabia or confirmed MERS cases in his workplace, neighboring areas, and medical institutions, as well as contacts in his home, the chances of transmission were low; however, the potential for transmission through his local community could not be excluded. Practically, it was difficult to determine the modes of transmission for all outbreak cases in communicable disease that occurred in this short period of time. The investigation to identify the mode of transmission in this case was ultimately unsuccessful. However, the various data collected and analyzed to reveal modes of transmission provided detailed information that could not be collected using only interview surveys.

Summary

Korean summary
2015년 한국에서 유행한 메르스 환자들 중, 감염 경로가 불분명한 119번째 환자에 대한 심층 역학조사를 통해 다양한 감염경로의 가능성을 검토하였다. 감염경로를 명확하게 밝혀내지 못한 한계점이 있지만, 지역사회 전파에 대한 가능성을 제시하였다. 감염병 대유행시 효율적인 감염경로 파악을 위해서는 다방면의 자료에 대한 확보체계와 이를 신속히 분석하고 판단할 수 있는 전문 인력 확충이 필요하다.

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A database of geopositioned Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus occurrences
Rebecca E. Ramshaw, Ian D. Letourneau, Amy Y. Hong, Julia Hon, Julia D. Morgan, Joshua C. P. Osborne, Shreya Shirude, Maria D. Van Kerkhove, Simon I. Hay, David M. Pigott
Scientific Data.2019;[Epub] CrossRef

MERS epidemiological investigation to detect potential mode of transmission in the 178th MERS confirmed case in Pyeongtaek, Korea: Kyujin Chang, Moran Ki, Eun Gyu Lee, Soon Young Lee, Byoungin Yoo, Jong Hyuk Choi; Epidemiol Health. 2015;37:e2015036. Published online August 15, 2015; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih/e2015036

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10 Web of Science
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Abstract Summary PDF Supplementary Material

Abstract

Most cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) infection in Korea (outbreak: May 11-July 4, 2015) occurred in hospital settings, with uncertain transmission modes in some cases. We performed an in-depth investigation epidemiological survey on the 178th case to determine the precise mode of transmission. A 29- year-old man living in Pyeongtaek presented on June 16 with a febrile sensation, chills, and myalgia. Upon confirmatory diagnosis on June 23, he was treated in an isolation room and discharged on July 2 after cure. An epidemiological investigation of all possible infection routes indicated two likely modes of transmission: exposure to MERS in Pyeongtaek St. Mary’s Hospital during a visit to his hospitalized father (May 18-29), and infection through frequent contact with his father between the latter’s referral to Pyeongtaek Good Samaritan Bagae Hospital for treatment without confirmatory diagnosis until his death (May 29-June 6). Although lack of clear proof or evidence to the contrary does not allow a definitive conclusion, all other possibilities could be excluded by epidemiological inferences. While it is impossible to trace back the modes of transmission of all cases in a large-scale outbreak, case-by-case tracking and isolation of infected individuals and those in close contact with them is important in preventing the spread. Efforts should be made to establish a methodology for rapid tracking of all possible contacts and elimination-based identification of the precise modes of transmission.

Summary

Korean summary
이 논문은 2015년 한국에서 새롭게 발생한 감염병인 메르스 유행 중, 감염경로가 불분명하였던 178번째 환자에 대한 심층 역학조사 과정과 결과를 기술한 것이며, 조사를 통해 얻은 교훈을 학계 및 관계자들과 공유하고자 한다. 조사 결과, 다른 사례들과 마찬가지로 병원감염으로 볼 수 있음을 밝힌다.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Constructing big data prevention and control model for public health emergencies in China: A grounded theory study
Huiquan Wang, Hong Ye, Lu Liu
Frontiers in Public Health.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
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Salman Khan, Bilal Shaker, Sajjad Ahmad, Sumra Wajid Abbasi, Muhammad Arshad, Abdul Haleem, Saba Ismail, Anita Zaib, Wasim Sajjad
Journal of Molecular Liquids.2021; 324: 114706. CrossRef
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) Virus—Pathophysiological Axis and the Current Treatment Strategies
Abdullah M Alnuqaydan, Abdulmajeed G Almutary, Arulmalar Sukamaran, Brian Tay Wei Yang, Xiao Ting Lee, Wei Xuan Lim, Yee Min Ng, Rania Ibrahim, Thiviya Darmarajan, Satheeshkumar Nanjappan, Jestin Chellian, Mayuren Candasamy, Thiagarajan Madheswaran, Ankur
AAPS PharmSciTech.2021;[Epub] CrossRef
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Arif Hussain, Anwarul Hasan, Mohammad Mahdi Nejadi Babadaei, Samir Haj Bloukh, Muhammad E.H. Chowdhury, Majid Sharifi, Setareh Haghighat, Mojtaba Falahati
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy.2020; 130: 110559. CrossRef
A database of geopositioned Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus occurrences
Rebecca E. Ramshaw, Ian D. Letourneau, Amy Y. Hong, Julia Hon, Julia D. Morgan, Joshua C. P. Osborne, Shreya Shirude, Maria D. Van Kerkhove, Simon I. Hay, David M. Pigott
Scientific Data.2019;[Epub] CrossRef
Identifying determinants of heterogeneous transmission dynamics of the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreak in the Republic of Korea, 2015: a retrospective epidemiological analysis
Hiroshi Nishiura, Akira Endo, Masaya Saitoh, Ryo Kinoshita, Ryo Ueno, Shinji Nakaoka, Yuichiro Miyamatsu, Yueping Dong, Gerardo Chowell, Kenji Mizumoto
BMJ Open.2016; 6(2): e009936. CrossRef
Epidemiologic Parameters of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Outbreak in Korea, 2015
Sun Hee Park, Woo Joo Kim, Jin-Hong Yoo, Jung-Hyun Choi
Infection & Chemotherapy.2016; 48(2): 108. CrossRef

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