Infect Chemother. 2019 Dec;51(4):427-434 https://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2019.51.4.427 pISSN 2093-2340·eISSN 2092-6448 Special Article Cholera Outbreaks in Korea after the Liberation in 1945: Clinical and Epidemiological Characteristics Yang Soo Kim Division of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Received: Oct 2, 2019 ABSTRACT Corresponding Author: Yang Soo Kim, MD, PhD The characteristics of cholera epidemics that have occurred in Korea since the country's Division of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical liberation in 1945 are described. The cholera outbreak in 1946 was the last classical one that Center, University of Ulsan College of occurred in Korea. In the 1960s, El Tor cholera replaced classical cholera worldwide which Medicine, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, is characterized by lower volumes of and less frequent diarrhea, a lower case fatality rate, Seoul 05505, Korea. and a higher percentage of people who carry cholera without symptoms. There were 11 Tel: +82-2-3010-3303 Fax: +82-2-3010-6970 cholera epidemics in Korea between 1963 and 2001. Except for 2 patients in 2002, all cases E-mail:
[email protected] originated from, or were associated with, other countries until 2016. In 2016, cholera was transmitted to three individuals within Korea. The number of cases, the number of deaths, Copyright © 2019 by The Korean Society and the case fatality rate decreased markedly after the 1946 cholera epidemic. The highest of Infectious Diseases, Korean Society for Antimicrobial Therapy, and The Korean Society case fatality rate since 1946 was 9% in 1969, and there have been no deaths due to cholera for AIDS since 1995.