Infect Chemother.  2011 Dec;43(6):468-473. 10.3947/ic.2011.43.6.468.

Trends in Childhood Bacterial Infectious Diseases in the Republic of Korea

• Choe YJ
• Lee HJ

• KMID: 2170358
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2011.43.6.468

Abstract

Bacterial infections have been the main threat to childhood health in Korea for the past 50 years. The economic growth and societal transition of the country during last century has made for an impressive story of success in the continuous reduction and effective control of both mortality from, and morbidity of, childhood bacterial infections. Many factors, including improved sanitation and living conditions, the introduction of antibiotics and vaccines, and the improvement of health care and settle down of surveillance systems, have contributed significantly to such success. However, childhood bacterial infections still play a significant role in child health from a clinical perspective, since the etiologic agents of invasive bacterial infections have changed following the changes in the environment and human behavior in the country. In order to meet this challenge, solid scientific knowledge and understanding of childhood bacterial infectious diseases during the last century are necessary. With transitions in epidemiology and microbiological characteristics, careful monitoring and building of scientific evidence are also needed in the to sustain and decrease the disease burden of childhood bacterial infections in Korea.

Keyword

Infectious diseases; Bacterial infection; Children; Trend; Change; Korea

MeSH Terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Bacterial Infections
Child
Child Health
Communicable Diseases
Delivery of Health Care
Economic Development
Humans
Korea
Republic of Korea
Sanitation
Social Conditions
Vaccines
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Vaccines

Figure

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  Figure 1 Trend of reported pertussis cases in Korea, 1955-2010. Adapted from reference [1] (National Notifiable Infectious Diseases Reports. Available at http://www.cdc.go.kr Accessed 29 November 2011).

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  Figure 2 Change in prevalence of tuberculosis in children at nine general hospitals in Korea from 1980 to 2006. Adapted from reference [7] (Korean J Pediatr Infect Dis 2009;16:107-114). Resp, respiratory tuberculosis; GI, gastrointestinal tuberculosis; Bone & Jt, bone & joint tuberculosis; Uro, urogenital tuberculosis; CNS, central nervous system tuberculosis.

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  Figure 3 Yearly distribution of 18 Salmonella typhi and 148 non-typhoidal Salmonellosis cases admitted to Seoul National University Children's Hospital from 1986 to 1995. Adapted from reference [14] (Korean J Infect Dis 1999;31:129-35).

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  Figure 4 Temporal changes in the relative proportions of the 4 most prevalent organisms in immunocompetent children above 3 months of age, admitted to 18 university-affiliated hospitals and diagnosed as invasive bacterial infections from 1996 to 2005, Korea. Adapted from reference [28] (J Korean Med Sci 2011;26:174-83).

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  Figure 5 Relative proportion of causative organisms of invasive bacterial infections in 56 neonates less than 3 months of age admitted to 25 hospitals from January to August 2011, Korea (Unpublished data).

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