Nation hit by other infectious diseases

By Lee Kyung-min

Although the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome appears to be waning, the nation should brace itself against infection from other serious diseases health authorities said Thursday.

According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), infections and deaths have been steadily reported caused by Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS), whooping cough, mumps, malaria, and dengue fever.

Since June, four people have died due to SFTS, which is passed onto humans through the bite of the haemaphysalis longicornis, a type of tick. Thirteen others became infected but later recovered.

The first death was that of a man, 74, on Jeju Island, who was believed to have been bitten by the mite while working on his farm. Another death took place in Gyeonggi Province with the other two occurring in South Gyeongsang Province. All of them were aged 70 or over.

SFTS was first reported here in May 2013, with 36 people infected and 17 dying that same year. In 2014, 55 people were infected and 16 died.

After becoming infected with SFTS, people show flu-like symptoms including a high fever, vomiting, and diarrhea following an incubation period of up to 12 days. If symptoms become more serious, sufferers may die from multiple organ failure, the KCDC said.

To prevent infection, the KCDC advised people not to lie down on grass without using mats during outdoor activities between April and November.

Also, 73 people were infected with whooping cough during the first six months of the year. This compares to 36 throughout 2013 and 88 last year.

Of the 73, five elementary schoolchildren in South Gyeongsang Province have been treated in isolation.

Some 13,300 people, mainly middle and high school students, contracted mumps as of June. The nation also had nine malaria patients and two dengue fever patients this year so far, according to the KCDC.

“Maintaining personal hygiene by washing hands frequently is the most effective way to prevent infection,” a KCDC official said.