Infect Chemother.  2011 Dec;43(6):453-457. 10.3947/ic.2011.43.6.453.

Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Republic of Korea

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. mdohmd@snu.ac.kr

Abstract

Many infectious diseases have emerged or re-emerged during the past 50 years in the Republic of Korea. Some of these are new infectious diseases delivered by new or newly recognized micro-organisms. Others are already known infectious diseases which have increased in frequency or have developed an expanded region of occurrence. Still others are infectious diseases that are caused by the same micro-organisms which are resistant to antibiotics, and therefore difficult to treat. Newly recognized Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs) include legionellosis, leptospirosis, tsutsugamushi diseases, Vibrio vulnificus sepsis, and brucellosis. New EIDs include acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, enterohemorrhagic E. coli infection, Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease. Of the EIDs occurred in the Republic of Korea during the past 50 years, healthcare-related infections, especially by antibiotic-resistant organisms, are the most important EIDs in terms of morbidity and mortality.

Keyword

Emerging Infectious diseases; Re-emerging Infectious diseases; Emerging Communicable diseases; Re-emerging Communicable diseases

MeSH Terms

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Brucellosis
Communicable Diseases
Communicable Diseases, Emerging
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
Legionellosis
Leptospirosis
Republic of Korea
Scrub Typhus
Sepsis
Vibrio vulnificus
Anti-Bacterial Agents

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