title: Work-related infectious diseases among Korean workers compensated under the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Law, 2006-2011.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Korea has no surveillance system for work-related infectious disease. However, these diseases are compensated by the Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service (KCOMWEL).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To understand the nature and distribution of compensated occupational infectious diseases in Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used the KCOMWEL electronic database to analyze compensated cases of work-related occupational infectious disease. We reviewed and confirmed diagnoses excluding denied claims, secondary infections, dermatoid diseases, duplicated cases and those with missing information. We calculated the distribution of work-related infectious disease in Korea by occupation, calendar year, gender, age, and employment duration, as well as the annual compensated claim rates (per million).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We included 1,062 compensated cases of work-related infectious disease. The most common was scrub typhus (n = 567, 53.4%), followed by tuberculosis (n = 227, 21.4%), viral hepatitis (n = 55, 5.2%), and viral influenza (n = 53, 5.0%). A sudden increase in scrub typhus was observed in 2009. Unskilled laborers, including short-term contract workers in public sectors, were most commonly affected by these diseases, followed by health care professionals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Workers employed in forestry care in the public sectors and in hospitals were most vulnerable to infections. Proper surveillance systems to monitor infectious diseases among vulnerable working groups and improved prevention measures are needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jun-Pyo
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Myong
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Dongguk University, Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yeon-Soon
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyoung-Ryoul
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital,The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Youn Jeong
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chung Yill
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jung-Wan
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Koo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D016272:Occupational Health; D009790:Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014942:Workers' Compensation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017132:Workplace / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*