In order to investigate the prevalence of tick-borne infectious agents among ticks, ticks comprising five species from two genera (Hemaphysalis spp. and Ixodes spp.) were screened using molecular techniques. Ticks (3,135) were collected from small wild-caught mammals or by dragging/flagging in the Republic of Korea (ROK) and were pooled into a total of 1,638 samples (1 to 27 ticks per pool). From the 1,638 tick samples, species-specific fragments of Anaplasma phagocytophilum (

No abstract

Elizabethkingia infections are difficult to treat because of intrinsic antimicrobial resistance, and their incidence has recently increased. We conducted a propensity score–matched case–control study during January 2016–June 2017 in South Korea and retrospectively studied data from patients who were culture positive for Elizabethkingia species during January 2009–June 2017. Furthermore, we conducted epidemiologic studies of the hospital environment and mosquitoes. The incidence of Elizabethkingia increased significantly, by 432.1%, for 2016–2017 over incidence for 2009–2015. Mechanical ventilation was associated with the acquisition of Elizabethkingia species. Because Elizabethkingia infection has a high case-fatality rate and is difficult to eliminate, intensive prevention of contamination is needed.

During the period of 1933-1994, house dusts were collected from 65 homes at 10 different localities by operating electric vacuum cleaners. House dust mites were isolated from 10 g dust by applying the modified wet sieving method. Total 7,257 mites were collected and 23 species were identified. Among them. Dermatophagoides farinae (DF) was predominant (65.3% of the total), followed by D. pteronyssinus (DP) (20.6%) and Tyrophagus putrescentiae (TP) (6.5%). Rhizoglyphus robini. Sancassania phyllophagianus, Cheyletus traussarti and Scheloribates latipes were the first findings from Korea. DF was predominant in Seoul (66.8%). Kwangju (63.6%), inland of Pusan (79.6%), Inchon (96.5%). Taejon (83.9%), Chonju (87.15) and Chongju (95.2%), whereas DP was predominant in Yongkwang-ub (72.5%) and Yongdo (island) of Pusan (64.9%), and TP in Chunchon (38.2%). The localities where DP and TP were predominant showed higher relative humidity in air (> 73% RH). Among 62 study homes, DF, DP and TP were found in 24.6% of the homes, co-habitat of two species in 48.1% and one species in 27.3%. DF was predominant in 63.5% of the homes studied. DP in 29.6% and TP in 6.9%. In 10 g of the house dust, less than 99 mites were found in 49 homes (70.0%), 100-499 mites in 11 homes (15.7%). 500-999 mites in 3 homes (4.3%) and more than 1,000 mites in 2 homes (2.9%). No mite was found in 5 homes (7.1%). In order to evaluate environmental factors affecting the population density of house dust mites, house type, age of house construction, size of the house, number of the family and frequency of the cleaning were compared with the number of mites, and none of the above factors were statistically correlated with the mite density.

No abstract