• Journal of Korean Medical classics
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.69-91
• /
• 2023

Objectives : This study investigates the association between disease behind the Beijing Epidemic of 1232 and fever causing internal damages as mentioned in the Neiwaishang Bianhuolun. Methods : In order to narrow the fever causing diseases in the Neiwaishang Bianhuolun, the retrospective diagnostic method was used in analysis. Disease behind the 1232 Beijing Epidemic and the fever causing internal damages were categorized. Results : Fever causing diseases in the Neiwaishang Bianhuolun could be categorized as infectious disease, inflammatory disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and fever of unknown origin. The Beijing Epidemic was limited in scale with high fatality, of which possible diseases include infectious disease and inflammatory disease with epidemic medium. Fever from internal damage has a mild prognosis, is non-epidemic, and lacks accompanying symptoms such as acute stomachache, even when it happens with external damage. This narrows the possible diseases to IBS and fever of unknown origin. Conclusions : Among internal damage fever cases treated by Li Dongyuan, there were infectious diseases from the 1232 epidemic and inflammatory diseases with mild prognosis.

• The Journal of Korean Medical History
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.29-47
• /
• 2006

Because the size of population was directly related to the power of the nation in the Chosun Dynasty, various efforts were exerted to maintain the size stable and the keys to the efforts were a high birth rate and a low death rate. However, in addition to wars, epidemic diseases had an enormous effect on the death rate. Particularly during the mid Chosun Dynasty, epidemic diseases were more prevalent than ever due to the abnormal climate called the little ice age. To cope with them, the government executed several medical relief policies and published medical books. In Chinese epidemiology, infectious diseases mean sicknesses caused by hot weather, but in Korean epidemiology, they indicate large-scale infectious sicknesses caused by both hot and cold weather. Therefore, as treatment methods for diseases from the cold were not applicable to the pathology of epidemic diseases, China developed separate epidemiology. In Korea, however, the main concern was how to prevent epidemic diseases, whether from hot or cold weather, that drove many lives into death. The characteristics of Korean epidemiology are as follows. First, whenever epidemic diseases were prevalent, in order to cope with them, translated medical books were promptly published including Ganibyeokonbang, Bunmunonyeokihaebang, Sinchanbyeokonbang, Byeokyeoksinbang and Byeokonsinbang. Second, those books were annotated in Korean so that people could read easily and accurately. Third, as an extension of the Hyangyak movement from the late Koryo Dynasty, Danbang was used a lot to treat and prevent epidemic diseases with less financial burden, and things obtainable easily according to individuals' situation were mentioned for anybody to overcome the emergent situation of epidemic diseases. Fourth, methods for praying to God were suggested for practitioners to work with sincere spirit and to keep themselves from epidemic diseases.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.803-811
• /
• 2012

Oriental Medicine always attach great importance to the damp diseases. Dampness is related with many organs and many clinical diseases. The cause and the location of the damp disease, nature of the symptoms, combination with other pathogenic factors are very diverse. This article analyzed the concept, cause of disease, pathogenesis, characteristic of symptoms, treatment method and prescriptions of Epidemic Warm Diseases of dampness syndrome and cases of dampness-heat diseases based on the theories of Epidemic Warm Diseases and found that theories of Epidemic Warm Diseases have very wide area of application. Dampness is classified into cold-dampness and dampness-heat by combination of heat or cold. The dampness syndrome is related with organs such as lung, spleen, kidney, triple energizers and bladder, and affects liver and heart. The basic treatment methods are dispelling dampness turbidity and diffusing qi movement. The detail treatment methods are spreading lung qi with lightness and resolving dampness and excreting turbidity in upper energizer, opening and dipping down with pungent-bitter and diffusing qi movement and strengthening the spleen and stomach in the middle energizer, draining dampness with bland in the lower energizer. Warming Yang is the main method of treatment for cold-dampness and clearing heat is for dampness-heat with the assistant methods such as resolving dampness and promoting the flow of qi. 5. Acute fever, virus diseases, epidemic diseases among modern diseases are much related with the dampness-heat syndrome.

• The Journal of Korean Medical History
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.133-143
• /
• 2017

Objectives : This paper summarizes results from review of 36 cases and medical records extracted from Yeoksimanpil, involving treatment of exogenous disease in the last Joseon dynasty, and considers significance of treatment protocols. Methods : About 130 medical records from Yeoksimanpil related to exogenous disease were reviewed, and 36 cases were extracted for closer investigation. The author examined the characteristics of exogenous diseases treated in Yeoksimanpil during the Joseon dynasty, employing Yi Suki's theory about exogenous febrile disease, and analyzed the theory from the viewpoint of epidemic febrile disease (溫病學). Results : The majority of exogenous diseases recorded in Yeoksimanpil include Sanghan (傷寒); Seo (暑); Ryeohwan (厲患); and Hongjin (紅疹). Sanghan was found to be prevalent among the exogenous diseases, but diseases caused by warmth and epidemic are recognized separately from Sanghan. Yi Suki's theory about exogenous febrile disease is similar to the basic theory of modern epidemic febrile disease, although his theory was developed independently during the last Joseon dynasty. Conclusions : Although some exogenous diseases in Yeoksimanpil were recognized separately, Yi Suki did not specify each feature nor did he focus on each symptom. Instead, the author's research suggests that Yi Suki was able to identify and treat a variety of various exogenous diseases due to his accumulation of medical knowledge and skill.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.131-140
• /
• 2001

Objectives : During March-May, 2000, a measles outbreak occurred at Youngduk, Korea. This county is divided into two areas with different historical and socioeconomic background. The outbreak occurred in one of these areas. We conducted a comparative epidemiologic study on the two areas in order to evaluate the factors related to the epidemic. Materials and Methods : We selected two groups, grades 3 and 5 in a primary schools in each area. We investigated outbreak-related factors using parent-questionnaires, the vaccination history from the student's health record and the records concerning the recent measles-outbreak from the local health center. Serologic test on measles-IgG and -IgM antibody was done. Results : The infection rate was 31.5% for the epidemic area and 3.7% for non-the epidemic area according to clinical or serological criteria (p<0.001). No difference was seen in the measles vaccination rate, residence at the time of vaccination or past measles infection history between the two areas. In the epidemic area, the attack rate for the 4-6 year-old MMR booster group(20.5%) was higher than the non-booster group(32.4%), but was not found significantly. Vaccine efficacy was 29.6% in the epidemic area and 87.0% in the non-epidemic area (p<0.001). The IgG level and positive rate were significantly different between the two areas (median 10727 IU/ml, 98.9% in epidemic area; median 346 IU/ml, 85.9% in the non-epidemic area, p<0.001). However, the IgG level and positive rate between the measles-cases and non-cases were not significantly different. Conclusions : This outbreak took place in mostly vaccinated children. These results suggest that a reduction of herd immunity for immunity failure after vaccination may be one of the feasible factors related to the outbreak pattern in the two areas. The results of the IgG level and positive rate suggest that re-establishment of a normal value for IgG level and of a qualitative method for IgG are needed.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.51 no.6
• /
• pp.326-328
• /
• 2018

As over 1000 new cases of HIV/AIDS occur in Korea annually, preventive health programs against HIV/AIDS are urgently needed. Since phylodynamic studies have been suggested as a way to understand how infectious diseases are transmitted and evolve, phylodynamic inferences can be a useful tool for HIV/AIDS research. In particular, phylodynamic models are helpful for dating the origins of an epidemic and estimating its basic reproduction number. Thus, the introduction of phylodynamics would be a highly valuable step towards controlling the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Korea.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2000.10a
• /
• pp.89-89
• /
• 2000

• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
• /
• v.40 no.2
• /
• pp.163-171
• /
• 2014

Epidemic models are used to analyze the spreading of epidemic diseases, estimate public health needs, and assess the effectiveness of mitigation strategies. Modeling scope of an epidemic model ranges from the regional scale to national and global scale. Most of the epidemic models developed in Korea are at the national scale using the equation-based model. While these models are useful for designing and evaluating national public health policies, they do not provide sufficient details. As an alternative, individual-based models at the regional scale are often used to describe disease spreading, so that various mitigation strategies can be designed and tested. This paper presents an individual-based epidemic spreading model at regional scale. This model incorporates 2005 census data to build the synthetic population in the model representing Daejeon in 2005. The model's capability is demonstrated by an example where we assess the effectiveness of several mitigation strategies using the model.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
• /
• v.47 no.2
• /
• pp.61-66
• /
• 2022

Objectives: In the epidemiology of communicable diseases, the term epidemic period, also referred to as "wave" is often used in the general and academic milieu. A wave refers to a natural pattern of increase in the number of sick individuals, a defined peak, and then a decline in the number of cases. It implies a pattern of peaks and valleys after a particular peak is taken. The idea of epidemic waves is a useful tool for predicting the course as well as helping to accurately describe an epidemic. However, in many domestic and foreign news as well as in various research results in Korea, most of the reports either had no standard, were inaccurate, had a questionable classification of the period of the epidemic, or the basis for classification of a given wave was not presented. Methods: The author reviewed and organized related literature with epidemic wave. The author made several suggestions of an epidemic wave as follows. Results: To start with, it should be based on the number of incident cases in consideration of the size of the outbreak, then the period from the bottom to the peak and then reaching the next bottom; also, the period over a certain scale based on the number of incident cases; and the period according to the change in the major infection type (mutation-dominant species). In addition, according to the period of change in the vaccination rate (formation of herd immunity), as well as the content and duration of the intervention, that is, classification according to the applied quarantine stage. Furthermore, the classification of epidemic periods by the time-dependent reproduction number or time-varying reproduction number (Rt), and lastly the application of mathematical methodology. Conclusions: Therefore, classifying the epidemic period into generally known and accepted time frames is considered to be a very important task for future research analysis and development of intervention strategies.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.27 no.3 s.47
• /
• pp.411-423
• /
• 1994

The survey methods for confirming the epidemicity and identifying the possible causes of the cancer epidemic can be different from those for infectious diseases. The procedure for confirming whether the outbreak is epidemic or not is quite different. Household survey for identifying cancer cases and residents actually living at the area should be done. Hospital survey for medical record review should be performed to identify all cancer cases among the residents of the outbreak area and confirmig the final diagnoses of the cancer cases. Comparing the level of cancer incidence or mortality with other areas can be done by using Poisson distribution, or calculating SIR (Standard Incidence Ratio) from cumulative incidence rates. Case-control study can be conducted to identify the etiologic, factors of the cancer epidemic and to establish strategy for preventing further recurrence of the outbreak.