Editorial Hae-Sun Chung Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Correspondence to Hae-Sun Chung, E-mail: sunny0521.chung@ewha.ac.kr Ann Clin Microbiol 2025;28(4):27. https://doi.org/10.5145/ACM.2025.28.4.8Received on 16 December 2025, Revised on 18 December 2025, Accepted on 18 December 2025, Published on 20 December 2025.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology.This is an Open Access article which is freely available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). The expanding role of whole-genome sequencing in clinical microbiology: A specially invited review Infectious diseases remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to erode the effectiveness of standard treatment pathways. Against this backdrop, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has shifted from being a specialized research capability to a practical engine for clinical decision support, outbreak investigation, and pathogen surveillance. The review by the distinguished Japanese scholar Professor Takashi Takahashi [1], “Whole-genome sequencing applications for

Original article Kang Ju Son1,2, Young Ah Kim3, Yoon Soo Park4 1Department of Research and Analysis, National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, 2Department of Biostatistics and Computing, Yonsei University Graduate School, Seoul, 3Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, 4Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Young Ah Kim, E-mail: yakim@nhimc.or.kr Ann Clin Microbiol 2020;23(4):181-189. https://doi.org/10.5145/ACM.2020.23.4.3Received on 9 April 2020, Revised on 23 June 2020, Accepted on 23 June 2020, Published on 20 December 2020.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile is an important pathogen that causes diarrhea in people who take antibiotics. The recent status of C. difficile infection is not well-known in Korea. Methods: The long-term trend of C. difficile infection in Korean hospitals was analyzed using a nationwide sample cohort. The data also included sociodemographic characteristics, disease severity, and healthcare facilities.

Original article Young-Suk Sohn1, Jung-Hyun Byun2, Young Ah Kim3, Dong-Chun Shin4, Kyungwon Lee1 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Research Institute of Bacterial Resistance, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 2Department of Laboratory Medicine, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju, 3Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, 4Department of Environmental Health Graduate School of Public Health, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Young Ah Kim, E-mail: yakim@nhimc.or.kr Ann Clin Microbiol 2020;23(1):33-43. https://doi.org/10.5145/ACM.2020.23.1.33Received on 8 July 2019, Revised on 23 August 2019, Accepted on 23 August 2019, Published on 20 March 2019.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: The weather has well-documented effects on infectious disease and reports suggest that summer peaks in the incidences of gram-negative bacterial infections among hospitalized patients. We evaluated how season and temperature changes affect bloodstream infection (BSI) incidences of major pathogens to understand BSI trends with

Original article PDF Jongwook Lee, M.D., Soo Hwan Pai, M.D., Jong Hyun Nahm, M.D., Jong Won Choi M.D., Bum Su Kim*, M.D., Won Choi*, M.D., Don Haeng Lee*, M.D., Hyung Gil Kim*, M.D. and Young Soo Kim*, M.D. Departments of Clinical Pathology, Internal medicine*, Inha University Medical College, Inchon, Korea Corresponding to Jongwook Lee Ann Clin Microbiol 1999;2(1):54-57.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background：The rapid urease test has been widely used for detection of Helicobacter pylori infection because it is easy, simple and rapid result. The CLO test and PyloriTek test observe color changes after the gastric biopsy specimens are inerted into the test kits. Because H. pylori is not evenly distributed in the gastric mucosa, grinding or mincing of gastric specimens prior to culture enhances isolation rate of H. pylori. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of rubbing the gastric biopsy specimens onto the urea soaked filter paper in this home-made rapid urease

Original article PDF Kyutaeg Yi, Jung Oak Kang, Jae Won Oh,* Si Young Ham,** Tae Yeal Choi Department of Laboratory Medicine, Pediatrics*, and Thoracic Surgery**, Hanyang University College of Medicine Corresponding to Jung Oak Kang, E-mail: jokang@hanyang.ac.kr Ann Clin Microbiol 2002;5(2):77-83.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background:Acute lower respiratory tract infections are common causes of hospitalization in children and viruses are major causative agents. The causative viruses are known to be variable by age, region, or year. We investigated the recent 5-year epidemics of respiratory viruses for pediatric patients in two university hospitals in Korea. Material and Methods:From July 1996 through June 2001, viral agents were detected for the 2,317 pediatric patients who were hospitalized with acute respiratory tract infection in Hanyang University Hospital and Hanyang University Guri Hospital. We obtained nasopharyngeal aspirates on the day of admission and detected the viruses by indirect immunofluorescent staining method (Respiratory

Original article PDF Soo Jin Park*, Sunjoo Kim Korean Red Cross Gyoungnam Blood Center, Medical Quality Management Office, Changwon*; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, Korea Corresponding to Sunjoo Kim, E-mail: sjkim8239@hanmail.net Ann Clin Microbiol 2003;6(1):7-11.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: Group A streptococci (GAS) is the most common cause of bacterial pharyngitis. Recently, a high frequency of resistance to erythromycin (EM), the drug of choice for penicillinallergic patients, has been reported, especially in countries where antibiotics are overused. Resistance is classified as constitutive, inducible, or M according to the sensitivity results with EM and clindamycin (CC). These EM resistance phenotype is attributable to the ermB, ermTR, and mefA genes, respectively. Although EM resistance of GAS is a serious problem in our country, there are very few reports regarding to its mechanism.  Methods: GAS were isolated from elementary school children of Jinju in 2002. Antibiotic