Enterovirus Infection Pathogen Surveillance Project Implementation System Diagram

Strengthening Enterovirus Surveillance: Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s 2024 Workshop

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency is set to host the ‘2024 Entero·Polio Pathogen Surveillance Project Workshop’ at the Central Health and Welfare Center of the Osong Life Science Complex. This workshop aims to fortify the entero·polio virus surveillance system, ensuring early detection and response to pathogens causing enterovirus infections.

Enterovirus Infection Pathogen Surveillance Project

The ‘Enterovirus Infection Pathogen Surveillance Project’ is a comprehensive surveillance system that analyzes pathogen characteristics and identifies epidemic trends. This project provides scientific basis data for infectious disease prevention measures, ultimately safeguarding public health.

Operated by provincial health and environment research institutes and medical institutions, the project has expanded from 87 participating institutions in 2022 to 96 participating institutions in 2024. Over the past three years, pathogens were isolated and detected in approximately 1,000 of the 2,000 collected samples.

Surveillance Information and Public Awareness

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency shares surveillance information on enterovirus infectious agents with the public every week through its infectious disease portal. In cases where pathogens causing severe clinical symptoms (EV-A71, etc.) occur, precautions against infection are issued through press releases.

Polio Environmental Surveillance Project

The ‘Polio Environmental Surveillance Project’, launched in 2024, is a surveillance system that collects domestic sewage and sewage from areas with a high possibility of polio inflow. This project checks the inflow of pathogens into the community, ensuring the maintenance of Korea’s polio eradication status, recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2000.

Workshop Objectives and Outcomes

The workshop will bring together approximately 50 representatives from KESS and K-PESS partner organizations. A commendation from the Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency will be awarded to excellent organizations and persons of merit who have contributed to the prevention of infectious disease outbreaks.

The workshop will facilitate the sharing of pathogen surveillance operations’ status and results among participating organizations. A comprehensive discussion will be held to improve the surveillance system, ensuring the continued protection of public health.

Director’s Statement

Director Ji Young-mi of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency emphasized the significance of the domestic polio environmental surveillance project, aligning with the World Health Organization’s polio eradication policy. She expressed her hope for the workshop to serve as a venue for active communication between surveillance participating organizations.

Director Ji Young-mi also urged participating organizations to make efforts to protect infants, children, and adolescents from infection through pathogen surveillance for enterovirus infections commonly occurring in these age groups.