Huge jump in life-threatening tick disease

By Chyung Eun-ju

Health authorities are urging campers, hikers and gardeners to watch out for seed-sized ticks after confirming that there has been a huge jump in tick-bite victims this year.

Infection from the tick-borne disease thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) has caused 31 deaths this year, according to a Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) report on Thursday ― a 63 percent increase from 2016.

SFTS had been found in 139 people this year until August, a 121 percent increase from the same period last year.

Ticks are active from April to November.

SFTS causes fever, nausea, diarrhea and drowsiness after being latent for six or two weeks..

SFTS can easily be confused with a cold or stomach flu because it does not have any specific traits that make the infection recognizable.

There is no vaccine for SFTS, so doctors can only treat the symptoms.

The best approach is to avoid being bitten by wearing long sleeves and long pants while walking in areas with ticks.

The KCDC recommends that anyone bitten by a tick should seek medical attention immediately.