Ticks' attack
Ticks found on Jeju Island
1 dead by tick-borne virus; about 10 suspected cases reported
By Kim Jae-won
Cases of a tick-born virus have prompted government health authorities to react swiftly to prevent its spread.
The Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Friday that a man who died on Jeju Island last week had severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), transmitted via a tick bite.
The agency said about 10 suspected cases have been reported so far across the nation.
The deceased, surnamed Kang, is the second victim of the tick-borne disease reported in Korea, following another death reported last year.
There is another suspected case yet to be confirmed in Busan, the agency said Friday. It takes about one week to confirm the cause of death.
“The patient showed symptoms of infection with SFTS. He died on Wednesday, while being treated,” an official from the agency said.
The agency said the average age of the patients suspected of having SFTS is 58 and more than 80 percent of them worked on farms or in forests, so were exposed to ticks more frequently.
The Jeju man, an orchard owner who also raised cattle, was suspected to have been bitten by a tick on May 16. He showed severe symptoms of the virus, including high fever, diarrhea and vomiting. He died while being treated in intensive care.
The nation’s disease control agency Friday released two tips to avoid the virus: wear long sleeve shirts during outdoor activities and shower after returning home.
“We strongly recommend people wear long sleeve shirts while doing outdoor activities. After returning home, showering is another task they should do,” said the agency in a statement.
China and Japan recently reported similar cases of the virus. In Japan, five out of eight people found to have the virus died. An academic study on the disease in China said it has a fatality rate of 12 percent.
The disease prevention agency said people do not need to worry about the virus too much as less than 0.5 percent of ticks are infected with it.