▲ Japanese encephalitis-carrying mosquito
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) issued a nationwide Japanese encephalitis warning today (June 17) after the virus was detected in mosquitoes collected in the Daegu area.
The KDCA had previously issued a Japanese encephalitis advisory on March 20 of this year.
An advisory is issued when the Culex tritaeniorhynchus mosquito, which transmits Japanese encephalitis, is first collected that year. A warning is issued when one of three criteria is met, such as mosquito density or the detection of the virus.
This year's warning was issued about a month and a half earlier than last year's, which was issued on August 1.
However, the KDCA explained that a direct comparison is difficult because last year's warning was based on mosquito density, while this year's was based on the detection of the virus.
The KDCA has been monitoring vector mosquitoes since 1975, and this year, it is conducting surveillance at 14 locations nationwide from March to October.
Recently, in cooperation with local government health and environment research institutes, the scope of surveillance has been expanded to include the common house mosquito (Culex pipiens) in addition to the Culex tritaeniorhynchus.
The mosquito in which the Japanese encephalitis virus was detected this time was also a common house mosquito.
In South Korea, an average of about 17 Japanese encephalitis cases occur per year.
In most cases, the first patient is reported between August and September, and cases continue until November.
Of the 79 patients reported over the past five years, 60.8% were male, and 65.9% were aged 60 or older.
Japanese encephalitis initially presents with symptoms such as fever, headache, and vomiting. In rare cases, if it progresses to encephalitis, symptoms such as high fever, seizures, and paralysis can occur, and 20 to 30% of cases can be fatal.
Even among those who recover, 30 to 50% of patients may suffer from neurological complications.
The KDCA recommends that children eligible for the national vaccination program complete their vaccinations according to the standard schedule.
Furthermore, the agency urges adults aged 18 and older who have no history of vaccination—including those living in or planning to visit high-risk areas, as well as long-term foreign residents in Korea—to receive the vaccine at their own expense.
KDCA Commissioner Lim Seung-kwan emphasized, "Local governments must minimize the occurrence of patients by focusing on controlling larvae in stagnant water in urban areas where vector mosquitoes breed, and by simultaneously conducting adult mosquito control in resting places such as basements and shrubbery."
(Photo: Provided by Yonhap News TV, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.