http://www.promedmail.org/pls/apex/..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,88918
Archive Number 20110615.1829
Published Date 15-JUN-2011
Subject PRO/EDR> Pulmonary fibrosis - South Korea (03): Seoul
PULMONARY FIBROSIS - SOUTH KOREA (03): SEOUL
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A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
[1]
Date: Sat 12 Jun 2011
Source: Yonhap News Agency [edited]
<http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/techscience/2011/06/12/99/0601000000AEN20110612002300320F.HTML>
South Korea has detected what could be seen as the 1st case of
members of the same family suffering from an unidentified severe acute
lung disease, the state-run disease control agency said on Sunday [5
Jun 2011].
A 32-year-old woman and her 6-year-old daughter were hospitalized in
Seoul after their lung tissues became hardened and they had
difficulties breathing, according to the [Korean] Center for Disease
Control (CDC).
The mother and the daughter, who currently rely on respirators to
breathe, are waiting to undergo lung transplant surgery, according to
the center. The CDC has conducted tests on tissue samples taken from
them.
The case is raising fears over the spread of an unknown virus, which
might have caused the deaths of 3 pregnant women since May 2011.
A 36-year-old woman died in early May 2011 in the intensive care unit
at a Seoul hospital due to an unidentified virus, the 1st of its kind
in Korea, after being admitted in April 2011 for tuberculosis. The
woman was pregnant when she was hospitalized.
--
Communicated by:
Ronan Kelly
<ronankelly@comcast.net>
******
[2]
Date: Fri 3 Jun 2011
Source: JoongAng Daily [edited]
<http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2937090>
After a month of epidemiological investigation on the mystery lung
malady that has stricken pregnant women and killed 3, the Korea
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said yesterday [2 Jun 2011]
they concluded it wasn't a virus, wasn't contagious and wasn't a new
phenomenon either. But they don't know what caused it and are baffled
as to why it's showing up in pregnant women.
"For the past month, we have studied lung disease patients in
intensive care units of 44 hospitals throughout the country and
concluded that there haven't been additional occurrences of this
disease," said an official from the KCDC. "This disease should no
longer be called a virus but an unidentified severe lung disease."
Since May [2011], 8 patients have been confirmed stricken with the
disease, which leads to pulmonary fibrosis, or scarring of the lungs,
7 of them pregnant women and one a man in his 40s. One of the women
died 10 May and the 2nd on 26 May [2011].
During the month-long investigation, 3 pregnant women visited
hospitals complaining of difficulty breathing. After conducting
biopsies, 2 were cleared of having the disease, and the 3d was
hospitalized 30 May [2011] for more tests, according to the KCDC.
The KCDC held an advisory meeting on Wednesday [1 Jun 2011] and came
to a conclusion that this "unidentified lung disease is not new." It
said that there have been "reports of patients, including both
children and adults, suffering from the same disease since 2005" and
that "only the exact cause of the disease is not specified yet."
The KCDC said it had no medical grounds for stating that pregnant
women are more vulnerable to the disease.
Health authorities said that the rash of cases should be described as
"an increase of pregnant women suffering from the lung disease rather
than a collective occurrence, as there are no statistical data to back
up such a statement."
Said Oh Myoung-don, a professor of internal medicine at Seoul
National University College of Medicine: "The old and the infirm and
chronic invalids with reduced immunity are more vulnerable to
infectious respiratory diseases, but this unknown lung disease wasn't
found in those patients. Therefore, the possibility of this disease
being infectious is extremely low."
[Byline: Yim Seung-hye, Park Yu-mi]
--
Communicated by:
Ronan Kelly
<ronankelly@comcast.net>
******
[3]
Date: Tue 14 Jun 2011
Source: YTN [in Korean, machine trans. edited]
<http://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0103_201106142243170302>
The 36-year-old mother who was treated for severe lung infection has
died. This is the 4th death in a family. After an induced birth,
symptoms deteriorated, and a single lung transplant was done. Acute
rejection occurred, and she died of hemorrhage and complications.
A family of suspected [lung disease] cases were reported during the
outbreak. A 26-year-old mother and her 23-month-old son were involved
late last month [May 2011]. Health authorities are conducting
investigations. However, the conclusion was not different from
patients with extensive lung damage from the disease. Severe
inflammation was found in the bronchioles, but the alveoli were in
relatively good condition. The deaths occurred sequentially.
--
Communicated by:
Ronan Kelly
<ronankelly@comcast.net>
******
[4]
Date: Wed 15 Jun 2011
Source: KBS News [in Korean, machine trans. edited]
<http://news.kbs.co.kr/society/2011/06/15/2307759.html>
Last April [2011], a large hospital in Seoul treated a pregnant woman
for lung disease, and yesterday [14 Jun 2011] she died. This is the
most recent case of severe lung disease of unknown [etiology], and the
number of deaths has risen to 4.
"I do not know the cause or prevention of the disease," said the
[Korean] CDC Director. "A large-scale, long-term government funded
investigation [is needed? will be done?] to clearly identify the cause
of the disease. Similar disease has occurred in the past, but this is
the 1st time a systematic investigation is being done." A case
definition of the disease will made as soon as the data are collected
and analyzed. In an interview with a Ulsan University staff member, he
stated: "The possibility of infection is very low, but open, and I am
looking into it. In addition, environmental toxins are [may be?]
involved, or something like this, and I have planned to investigate
that."
Identification of unknown causes of diseases like this would take a
minimum of one year, health officials said.
--
Communicated by:
Ronan Kelly
<ronankelly@comcast.net>
******
[5]
Date: Mon 13 Jun 2011
Source: KBS News [in Korean, machine trans. edited]
<http://news.kbs.co.kr/science/2011/06/13/2306924.html>
Suddenly, the lungs become hard in this lung disease of unknown
cause. As of yesterday [12 Jun 2011], there were confirmed cases of
interfamily occurrence. Hospitalized for breathing difficulties late
last month [May 2011] in Seoul followed by surgery for lung
transplantation at a university hospital, a 26-year-old pregnant woman
and her 23-month-old son were found to be suffering from the pulmonary
fibrosis phenomenon.
Families [of patients] will be checked again in the additional cases.
Earlier yesterday [12 Jun 2011], a mother and 2 daughters in a family
with severe acute lung disease were also reported as cases.
What they have in common is rapid, labored hard breathing as
interstitial pneumonitis; the lungs become hard.
[Korean] Centers for Disease Control Infectious Disease Management
Center staff said in an interview that, "according to our
investigation, there may be spread among family members infected with
pathogens that cause [the disease], but that has not been
determined."
Until now, the lung disease occurred in 3 pregnant women who died.
However, it is salient that disease has been seen in familial cases of
non-pregnant adults and children. In fact, for the past 5 years,
excluding pregnant adults or children with this disease, it has killed
472 people.
--
Communicated by:
Ronan Kelly
<ronankelly@comcast.net>
******
[6]
Date: Sun 12 Jun 2011
Source: YTN [in Korean, machine trans. edited]
<http://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0105_201106121741203449>
A 32-year-old living in Seoul and his 6-year-old daughter had
shortness of breath; their symptoms deteriorated in the hospital in
Seoul, says the university. Also, the patient's one-year-old daughter,
because she had the same symptoms, was in the hospital in Busan.
The Centers for Disease Control, however, indicated recently that the
lung disease killed an unknown number of women who had different
symptoms, [those of] pneumonia. It stated that they likely
deteriorated.
The daughter currently is [breathing] without relying on a respirator
and artificial lungs and is waiting for a lung transplant.
--
Communicated by:
Ronan Kelly
<ronankelly@comcast.net>
[Many reports on this undiagnosed lung disease have been appearing in
the popular Korean press. It has been difficult to determine the exact
number of pulmonary fibrosis cases, specific deaths due to it, and the
dates and places of occurrence of these cases. Some reports refer to a
virus, yet virus etiology has been discarded by the Korean CDC.
As Mod.CP indicated in the ProMED-mail post of 26 May 2011
(ProMED-mail archive no. 20110526.1614): "Pulmonary fibrosis can be
caused by many conditions, including chronic inflammatory processes
(sarcoidosis, Wegener's granulomatosis), infections, environmental
agents (asbestos, silica, exposure to certain gases), exposure to
ionizing radiation (such as radiation therapy to treat tumors of the
chest), chronic conditions (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis), and certain
medications." For further information, see the previous ProMED-mail
post (referenced below) and MedicineNet.com at
<http://www.medicinenet.com/pulmonary_fibrosis/article.htm#tocb>).
ProMED will appreciate receiving additional information about the
number of cases and their etiology as it becomes available. - Mod.TY]
[For the interactive HealthMap/ProMED map of South Korea, see
<http://healthmap.org/r/00bh>. - Mod.MPP]]
