A surveillance of chigger mites was performed to monitor the incidence of scrub typhus vectors at four environmental collection points in two locations (Sunchang and Haenam) in the Honam region of Korea from August to December 2023. During the surveillance period, 4,174 chigger mites were collected and the predominant species were Leptotrombidium scutellare (94.3%). The density of chigger mites had the peaked at 44 week (10.26~11.1), while the density of patients peaked at 45 week (11.2~11.8) respectively. A positive correlation (r=0.69) observed between scrub typhus patients and vectors. This result suggests that this vector surveillance method will be useful for alarm system of tsutsugamushi disease. However, the relationship between scrub typhus cases and chigger mite density will be studied through long-term periodic surveillance.

본 연구는 오배자 에탄올 추출물 (GRE), 염소산나트륨 (SC) 그리고 오배자 에탄올 추출물과 염소산나트륨 합제(GS)의 B. abortus에 대한 항균효과를 확인하기 위해 수행 되었다. GRE, SC 그리고 GS를 B. abortus에 처리하여 배양한 후, B. abortus의 생존수를 확인하였으며, 마우스 탐식세포 내 감염된 B. abortus의 증식 억제효과를 경시별 (2, 24, 48시간)로 조사하였다. GRE, SC 그리고 GS는 각각 400 μg/mL 이하, 15 mM 그리고 0.6GS (GS 1, GRE 1,000 μg/mL + SC 30 mM) 이하의 농도에서 세포독성을 나타나지 않았다. 모든 처리구에서 B. abortus의 생존율은 용량- 의존적으로 현저하게 감소하는 결과를 나타내었다. 또한, GRE (400 μg/mL), SC (15 mM) 그리고 0.5GS (GRE 500 μg/mL + SC 15 mM)를 처리한 세포에서 배양 48시간 후에, B. abortus의 증식이 통계적으로 유의성 있게 감소하였으며 (GRE, p < 0.01; SC and 0.5GS, p < 0.001), 특히, GS를 처리한 경우, B. abortus의 세포내 증식이 GRE와 SC의 상승작용에 의한 강력한 항균효과를 나타내었다. 결론적으로, GS는 B. abortus에 대한 항균물질로서 유용할 뿐만 아니라, 식육과 우유 위생 분야에 적용할 수 있을 것으로 생각된다.

본 연구는 P. aeruginosa와 E. hirae을 대상으로 orthophenylphenol 20%를 함유한 훈증소독제, Fumagari OPP®의 살균효과를 평가하기 위해 수행되었다. 예비 시험에서, P. aeruginosa와 E. hirae의 현탁액 균수는 각각 2.8 × 108 와 3.6 × 108CFU/mL이었으며, 모든 훈증소독제에 노출시킨 담체의 균수는 모두 평판배지법과 여과법으로 배양한 시험균주 현탁액의 균수의 50%보다 많았다. 또한, 대조 담체로부터 회복된 P. aeruginosa와 E. hirae 균수는 각각 2.9 × 106와 2.7 × 106CFU/mL이었다. 훈증소독제의 살균효과 시험에서는, 훈증소독제를 처리한 담체의 P. aeruginosa 와 E. hirae의 감소 균수는 각각 6.46와 5.19 logCFU/mL 로 나타났다. 이상의 결과로부터, 훈증소독제, Fumagari OPP®는 P. aeruginosa와 E. hirae에 대해 효과적인 살균력 을 갖는 것으로 확인되었으며, 병원성 세균에 오염된 식품재료 및 주방용품의 소독에 적용할 수 있을 것으로 사료된다.

This study investigated the antibacterial effects of GR ethanol extracts (GRE), sodium chlorate (SC) and a combination of GRE and SC (GS) on Brucella abortus (B. abortus). The antibacterial activities of GRE, SC and GS towards B. abortus were evaluated by incubating B. abortus with GRE, SC and GS. Following treatment with GRE, SC and GS, B. abortus survival and intracellular proliferation in macrophages were monitored. In the cellular cytotoxicity assay, GRE, SC and GS are not cytotoxic at concentrations less than 400 μg/ml, 15 mM and 0.6GS (1 of GS, GRE 1,000 μg/ml + SC 30 mM), respectively. The viability of B. abortus was markedly decreased in a dosedependent manner in all treatment groups. In addition, B. abortus intracellular proliferation within macrophages was significantly reduced in cells treated with GRE (400 μg/mL), SC (15 mM) and 0.5GS (GRE 500 μg/mL + SC 15 mM) after 48 hr-incubation (GRE, p < 0.01; SC and 0.5GS, p < 0.001). Especially, in the treatment of GS, the synergistic effect of GRE and SC treatment on B. abortus in macrophage was observed. In conclusion, GS is useful as an antibacterial candidate against B. abortus, and can be applied in the field of meat and milk hygiene.

This test was performed to evaluate the bactericidal efficacy of a fumigation disinfectant containing 20% ortho-phenylphenol against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) and Enterococcus hirae (E. hirae). In preliminary tests, P. aeruginosa and E. hirae working culture suspension number (N value) were 2.8 × 108 and 4.0 × 108CFU/mL, respectively. And all the colony numbers on the carriers exposed to the fumigant (n1, n2, n3) were higher than 0.5N1 (the number of bacterial test suspentions by pour plate method), 0.5N2 (the number of bacterial test suspentions by filter membrane method) and 0.5N1, respectively. In addition, the mean number of P. aeruginosa and E. hirae recovered on the control-carriers (T value) was 2.8 × 108 and 3.4 × 106 CFU/mL, respectively. In the bactericidal effect of the fumigant, the reduction number of 2.8 × 108 (d value) was 6.46 and 5.19 logCFU/mL, respectively. According to the French standard for the fumigant, the d value for the effective bactericidal fumigant should be over than 5 logCFU/mL. With the results from this study, the fumigation disinfectant containing 20% ortho-phenylphenol has an effective bactericidal activity, then the fumigant can be applied to disinfect food materials and kitchen appliances contaminated with the pathogenic bacteria.

This study investigated the therapeutic effects of Galla rhois (GR) ethanol extract (GRE), sodium chlorate (SC), and a combination of GRE and SC on mice infected with Brucella abortus (B. abortus). Mice were infected intraperitoneally with B. abortus and then treated with GRE, SC, and a combination GRE and SC in drinking water for 14 days. Then, serum antibodies were used in a tube agglutination test (TAT), after which the weight and CFUs from each spleen were measured. In addition, histopathological changes in each liver were examined at 14 days post-infection. At 14 days post-infection, negative reactions of serum antibodies in PC (positive control), SCT (SC 1.6 g/L drinking water), GRT (GRE 200 mg/L drinking water), and GST (GRE 200 mg + SC 1.6 g/L drinking water) were 0, 40, 60, and 80%, respectively. The average spleen weight was not significantly different between the groups. At 14 days post-infection, bacterial numbers in all treated groups were significantly lower compared to to that of the PC (GRT and SCT, P<0.05; GST, P<0.001). In terms of histopathological changes in the livers, there were numerous multifocal microgranulomas in the PC, whereas this number successively decreased in the SCT, GRT, and GST groups. Conclusively, a combination of GRE and SC exhibits therapeutic effects on mice infected with B. abortus. These results suggest the potential efficacy of a mixture of GRE and SC in the treatment of brucellosis.

본 연구는 E. coli와 S. typhimurium을 대상으로 orthophenylphenol 20%를 함유한 훈증소독제, Fumagari OPP®의 살균효과를 평가하기 위해 수행되었다. 예비 시험에서, E. coli와 S. typhimurium의 현탁액 균수는 모두 4.0 × 108CFU/ mL이었으며, 모든 훈증소독제에 노출시킨 담체의 균수는 모두 평판배지법과 여과법으로 배양한 시험균주 현탁액의 균수의 50%보다 많았다. 또한, 대조 담체로부터 회복된 E. coli와 S. typhimurium 균수는 모두 3.4 × 106CFU/mL이었다. 훈증소독제의 살균효과 시험에서는, 훈증소독제를 처리한 담체의 E. coli와 S. typhimurium의 감소 균수는 각 각 5.64와 5.26 logCFU/mL로 나타났다. 이상의 결과로부터, 훈증소독제, Fumagari OPP®은 E. coli와 S. typhimurium에 대해 효과적인 살균력을 갖는 것으로 확인되었으며, 병원성 세균에 오염된 식품재료 및 주방용품의 소독에 적용할 수 있을 것으로 사료된다.

Antibiotic Detection Kit (Combination I), a lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) developed for the detection of antibiotic residues in milk, was utilized for the analysis of antibiotic residues in the muscle tissue of olive flounder. After 60-min treatment by dipping in water dosed with ampicillin (200-g/ton water), the residue depletion of ampicillin was investigated in 25 cultured olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). Muscles of fish were sampled on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th day after drug treatment. The concentration of ampicillin in the muscle was determined by LFIA. The absorbance ratio of the sample to the control blank (Bs/Bo) was employed as an index to determine the muscle residues in olive flounder. To investigate the recovery rate, standard solutions were added to muscle samples to give final concentrations in the muscle of 4 and 8 ng/ml. The recovery rates of all spiked samples were > 96% of the spiked value. Ampicillin was detected in the muscle of fish treated with the drug until the 2nd day of the withdrawal period. The present study showed that the LFIA can be easily adopted to predict ampicillin residues in tissue of farmed fishes.

Streptococcus suis (S. suis) is a major swine pathogen and an emerging zoonotic agent and is an increasing public health problem across Asia. The present study was undertaken to estimate the antibacterial effect of GR extract and therapeutic effect of GR extract against S. suis infection in mice. At the concentration of GR extract 2.5 mg/ml, the antibacterial effect was not shown on S. suis. However, the antibacterial effect against S. suis was observed at the concentration of GR extract 5.0 mg/ml. Oral administration of GR extract at the dose of 10 mg/kg showed a therapeutic effect for S. suis infected BALB/c mice. The mortality of GR extract-treated mice at the concentration of 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg was 80%, 70%, and 50% at 12 days, respectively, while that of untreated mice was 100% at 8 days after a lethal dose of S. suis infection. The results of our study strongly indicate that GR extract has potential as an effective for S. suis infection in mice.

Amoxicillin, a well-known antibiotic, has a broad spectrum against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. This experiment was conducted in order to investigate the effect of micronized and non-micronized amoxicillin prepared using different comminution techniques on change in blood concentration of rats. Forty adult male Sprague Dawley rats (6~7 weeks of age, body weight 128.3 ± 10.7 g) were randomly allocated to two treatment groups: micronized amoxicillin (MA) group treated with micronized amoxicillin trihydrate powder (particle size, over 90% of 10 μm), non-micronized amoxicillin (NMA) group treated with non-micronized amoxicillin trihydrate powder (particle size, over 70% of 100 μm), given 480 mg/kg body weight once daily for four days. The results showed a significant increase in serum concentration in the MA group on days 3 and 4, compared to the NMA group (P<0.05). In particular, serum concentration of the MA group on day 4 was increased almost two times that of the NMA group. The results indicate that due to the increase of the drug’s oral bioavailability, higher serum concentration would be achieved with the micronized amoxicillin trihydrate than with the non-micronized drug.

The purpose of this study is to explore high school students' environmental literacy and from its result, to suggest ways to reform environmental education. 1047 students from Seoul and Kyeongki province participated in the survey. The questionnaire consisted of four criteria of environmental literacy including knowledge, skill, attitude and behavior. The result was analyzed and the factors which affect high school students environmental literacy were explored. From this result, we made suggestions to improve environmental education as follows. First, environmental education in school should focus on knowledge criterion. Though school environmental education has been helpful for students to build environmental literacy in attitude and behavior criteria, its effect has not been good enough in knowledge criterion. Second, science education can enhance students' environmental literacy. Students who like science best and students who belong to science major classes were reported to possess better understanding in knowledge criterion. Also, students who like life science appeared to have a more positive attitude in environmental literacy. Third, informal education must be considered to form students' environmental literacy. In particular, the effect of mass media is inarguable. Thus, we should find a way to link formal education and informal education to improve environmental education. Fourth, high school students' interest in the environment must be encouraged since it is evident that higher interest would result in better outcome in environmental education.

약용버섯(상황·영지) β-glucan 미세캡슐 제품을 10℃, 25℃, 40℃에서 5개월 동안 저장하며 한 달 간격으로 수분함량, 색도 및 일반세균 변화를 조사하고 식품 유통기한 설정 프로그램을 이용하여 유통기한을 예측하였다. 수분함량 변화 결과 상황버섯 β-glucan 미세캡슐은 저장기간 동안 25℃와 40℃에서는 변화가 없었으나 10℃에서는 3개월째에서 증가한 후 감소하였고, 영지버섯 β-glucan 미세캡슐은 저장기간 동안 25℃와 40℃에서 약간의 증가 및 감소가 있었으나 10℃에서는 저장 3개월째에서 초기값보다 감소한 후 증가하였다. 색도 변화는 상황버섯, 영지버섯 β-glucan 미세캡슐 모두 10℃, 25℃, 40℃에서 저장 5개월째까지 큰 차이를 나타내지 않았다. 일반세균은 상황버섯, 영지버섯 β-glucan 미세캡슐의 저장기간 및 저장온도에 따른 큰 변화 없이 초기값을 유지하였다. 이들 결과를 바탕으로 상황버섯 β-glucan 미세캡슐은 30.11개월이었고, 영지버섯 β-glucan 미세캡슐은 24.82개월의 유통기한을 최종적으로 산출하였다. 따라서 약용버섯(상황·영지) β-glucan 미세캡슐 제품의 유통기한을 각각 24개월로 설정하는 것이 바람직할 것으로 사료된다.