Nationwide Surveillance for Pathogenic Microorganisms in Groundwater near Carcass Burials Constructed in South Korea in 2010

Abstract

Widespread outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease and avian influenza occurred in South Korea during 2010. In response to the culling of many animals to attenuate the spread of disease, South Korea used mass burial sites to dispose of the large number of carcasses; consequently, concerns about groundwater contamination by leachate from these burial sites are increasing. Groundwater is one of the main sources of drinking water, and its cleanliness is directly related to public health. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the safety of groundwater around the burial sites (total of 600 sites). A total of 1,200 groundwater samples were collected though the country, and microbial analysis was conducted during two time periods: during the spring (n = 600; April to June 2012) and after rainfall (n = 600; August to October, 2012; fall). Fecal coliform and Escherichia coli were detected in 173 (14.4%) and 85 (7.1%) of the 1,200 samples, respectively. Salmonella spp. and Shigella spp. each were detected only once (0.083%). Clostridium perfringens was detected from 7 groundwater samples (0.583%), and E. coli O157:H7 was not detected. With respect to norovirus, only the GII type was detected from six groundwater samples (0.5%), and enterovirus was detected in 15 groundwater samples (1.25%). The frequency of E. coli that we detected was lower than that found in previous studies conducted in South Korea, but we detected higher frequency of fecal coliform than that observed in a previous report. The contamination frequencies of Salmonella spp. and Shigella spp. were very low, but C. perfringens, which could be an indicator of fecal pollution, was detected in seven regions. Overall, the results of the present study indicate a low possibility of contamination from burial sites. However, consistent monitoring is required to prevent microbial contamination of groundwater near the burial sites.

Development of Enhanced Primer Sets for Detection of Norovirus

“…It is possible that the primer sets used for detection of NV are different in each laboratory because a standard method for detection has not yet been established [ 37 ]. In previously published work, the primer sets GI-F1/R1/F2 and GII-F1/R1/F2, SRI-1/2/3 and SRII-1/2/3 have typically been used to detect NV [ 38 , 39 ]. Indeed, GI-F1/R1/F2 and GII-F1/R1/F2 are recommended for detection of NV by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) of Republic of Korea ( http://www.cdc.go.kr/CDC/contents/CdcKrContentView.jsp?cid=18302&menuIds=HOME001-MNU1175MNU834-MNU0839 ).…”

Current status and management for the sustainable groundwater resources in Korea

“…In all studies, groundwater contamination with carcass leachate was publicized as the source of groundwater contamination in the vicinity of burial pits. A comparatively high percentage of total coliforms (75%) was observed by Joung et al (2013) in groundwater samples (n = 12,000) from Gyeongsang, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, and Chungcheng Provinces, all within 1000 m of livestock burial sites. reported a high percentage of total coliforms (95%) in groundwater samples from Gyeonggi Province within the vicinity of burial pits, while Kaown et al (2015) found that most of groundwater wells adjacent to livestock burial sites in Seoul were contaminated with total coliforms (99.9%).…”

“…Massive FMD and AI prevalence from December 2010 to March 2011 led to 3.38 million animals being slaughtered ( Fig. 2a), including pigs, goats, and poultry animals (Joung et al, 2013). The lethal and infectious nature of FMD and AI viruses requires the removal of all animal and bird died of the disease outbreak, in order to avoid any risks to public health.…”

Global Foot-and-Mouth Disease Research Update and Gap Analysis: 5 - Biotherapeutics and Disinfectants

“…One study considered the environmental and public health impacts of the mass usage of disinfectant during FMD outbreaks in South Korea, describing the quantities of different disinfectants used and their potentially toxic effects (Kim et al., ). An investigation of environmental contamination from mass carcass burial after culling during the same outbreak found little evidence of microbial contamination of ground water (Joung et al., ). These issues were a cause of major public concern.…”