Measles, TB hit collegians
By Lee Hyo-sik
Dozens of college students in Seoul and Busan have contracted measles and tuberculosis.
Some blame quarantine authorities and the education ministry for not taking proper measures to stop the spread among students.
According to the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), Tuesday, 11 students in Kookmin University and one in Kwangwoon University, both in northern Seoul, have been infected with measles over the past month. Fourteen students in Busan University have been diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB).
Education officials say they are examining why the contagious diseases are spreading in colleges.
Measles entails a fever and creates red spots on their skin, while TB attacks lungs and other organs.
The first case of measles infection was reported at Kookmin University on April 8, but the number of patients has increased to 11 as of Tuesday.
The measles patient in Kwangwoon University has been treated and released from hospital and there have been no more infections there, the KCDC said.
“People who travel to Southeast Asia and other tropical regions normally get infected with measles. We believe it was spread to collegians from those who contracted the disease abroad,” said Park Ok, head of the KCDC’s vaccination management division. “We are doing everything we can to contain the disease, but given its highly contagious nature, we will likely see more people contract it for the time being.”
The agency has separated those infected with measles from the general population and inspected people who might have had contact with the patents. According to the KCDC, at least 45 students in Kookmin University and nearby universities are suspected of having contracted measles.
“In cooperation with Seoul City, we will take all possible measures to prevent the spread. More people will get infected in the short term, but it will not become a full-blown epidemic,” Park said. “Many people are inoculated against it and we believe it will be contained soon.”
The Ministry of Education said it was aware of measles and TB infections at Kookmin and Kwangwoon, but was not involved in the ongoing quarantine efforts.
“We manage health issues in primary and secondary schools, but not in universities,” said Jo Myoung-young, a deputy director at the ministry’s student welfare policy division. “Universities are responsible for such health issues and they should closely cooperate with public health authorities to cure the patients and stop the spread.”
In addition, Busan University has been hit by TB infections. A total of 14 female students have been infected with the illness. In April 2013, there was the TB outbreak affecting nearly 300 students at the university. The KCDC said about 60 students who have had contact with TB patients may contract the illness.