South Korea - MoH: 55 people ill with unknown respiratory disease after exposure at Konkuk animal research facility - October 29, 2015 - rare bacteria

[Gert van der Hoek]

2015.11.09

Among 55 people suspected discharge occurred 17 people ... 53 people so far

National University of unknown cause occurred animal diseases and Life Sciences. (Photo: bakjongmin reporter)
The epicenter of respiratory disease occurred at Konkuk University Animal Life Sciences group has been narrowed down to two development laboratory where animal feed.

According to Defense officials in 10 days, 55 people were suspected to have occurred among the 17 people who worked in the lab associated with the development of animal feed.

Nine food biotechnology laboratory of No. 503, eight Physiology and Animal Nutrition Laboratory of proteomics was 504 employees.

Accordingly, the authorities are committed to verify the various hypotheses place the food or chemicals, such as those spent in the laboratory.

Respiratory bacterial species 7 authorities so far, only the check for the uniqueness beolyeotji agents such as viruses 9 species was found.

Therefore, enteritis or lungs caused by dust or the like generated in the process of crushing the animal feed, and with the possibility that the weight caused by fungi or the like.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said, "all the laboratories it may be a problem," said "the investigation is underway pathogens went for the travel path or spread in any way".

These laboratories were 25 suspected cases that have occurred In the 5th floor, 4th floor In 15, seven layers 13, 6 and third floors each have occurred In a 1 kill.

The lab is co-located on the seventh floor of the space used with various researchers, including researchers of the five-story animal feed.

Suspected cases occurred so far, except for two people 55 people 53 of whom were discharged. 2 shows a state in which there is still no improvement symptoms such as fever lightness being hospitalized.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Acute respiratory syndrome – Republic of Korea

Disease outbreak news

16 November 2015

On 29 October 2015, the National IHR Focal Point of the Republic of Korea notified WHO of a cluster of cases with respiratory symptoms in Seoul.

Additional information on the outbreak

Between 19 and 29 October, 3 people who work in the same facility developed symptoms of pneumonia. From 22 to 24 October, they were admitted to hospital. On 27 October, the hospital isolated the patients and alerted local health authorities, which then informed the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

To date, 84 cases with respiratory symptoms have been identified; 55 of them were diagnosed with pneumonia and 29 cases were mildly symptomatic. The 55 patients with pneumonia were isolated in 7 different hospitals while the 29 patients with mild symptoms were under home quarantine.

As of 11 November, only 1 of the 55 patients with pneumonia was still hospitalized; the other 54 cases had all been discharged. Currently, none of the patients is in critical condition.

Public health response

In response to the outbreak, KCDC and the government of the Republic of Korea have implemented a series of public health measures:

• issued daily press releases to the public;
• conducted contact tracing –1,664 contacts have been monitored on a daily basis;
• established a hotline for reporting potentially-linked cases;
• requested hospitals to report pneumonia cases with potential links to the cluster;
• closed and disinfected the affected facility.

So far, all PCR tests carried out by the KCDC have been negative, including for Adenovirus, Respiratory syncytial virus, Parainfluenza virus, Metapneumo virus, Boca virus, Influenza virus, and Coronavirus (including MERS-CoV), as well as for Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, Corynebacterium, Bordatella, Brucella, Coxiella and Legionella.

At present, there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission. Investigation on the cause of the outbreak is ongoing.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

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Bacteria suspected cause of group infection at Konkuk University
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2015-12-08​

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[TD="width: 450"]A strain of bacteria was cited Tuesday as the cause for the mystery disease with pneumonia-like symptoms that struck Konkuk University in Seoul in October.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) announced its months-long epidemiologic investigation into the disease which has affected 55 people since Oct. 19.

All patients were students working at laboratories in the school's College of Animal Bioscience and Technology building, and were discharged from hospital care later as their condition was not life-threatening.

The KCDC said the type of bacteria, saccharopolyspora rectivirgula, was discovered in multiple samples taken from the patients and the university labs.

"Based on the results of the lab examinations, we believe that the disease resulted from the bacteria that may have proliferated in the feedstuffs kept in the labs," said KCDC Director Yang Byung-guk during a media briefing.

Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula is commonly found in soil or in plants. Agriculture workers who come into frequent contact with hay are prone to inhale the bacteria, the KCDC said.

It said researchers at the college failed to store the feedstuffs properly in the labs and this may have contributed to the infection.

"The researchers kept the feedstuffs in their rooms where they sleep and eat," Yang said. "The infection may be attributable to long-term exposure under such conditions," KCDC Epidemic Investigation Team Chief Lee San-won said.

There had been no previous reports in Korea of human contraction of the bacteria.[/TD]
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[Gert van der Hoek]

Source of outbreak at college labs is identified

Dec 09,2015

The cause of a mysterious outbreak of pneumonia at Konkuk University, eastern Seoul, in October appears to be a type of bacteria that proliferates in animal feed used in labs at a building studying animal biotechnology.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (KCDC) said Tuesday it detected microbes that were likely to be Sacchearopolyspora rectivirgula (S.Rectivirgula), which are known to cause pneumoenteritis, or inflammation of the lungs and intestines in humans.

The microbes are usually detected in soil and plants. They originated in animal feed brought into the building and spread after the building’s exhaust systems malfunctioned.

“It is seen that there was a mass infection widely spread through dust carrying germs that proliferated in the labs after the ventilation system stopped,” said a quarantine authority at a briefing.

The first pneumonia patient at the university was reported on Oct. 19 and an additional 54 cases developed between October and November. All patients were students and workers on the fourth to seventh floors of the Animal Biotechnology building of Konkuk University.

KCDC shut down the building and did an epidemiological investigation for one and a half months.

The authorities said the germ was detected in feed, labs, and specimens from patients. They believed it first broke out in labs developing animal feeds on the fifth floor and spread to the other floors via a ventilation shaft that was not operating.

The KCDC said it will conclude decontaminating operations and a renovation of the building and reopen it before the next semester starts in March.

It will continue monitoring students and workers who used the building over the last six months.

 

[Emily]

This is one of the pathogen's linked to 'Farmer's Lung' :

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/298811-overview