Infectious diseases spread nationwide

Posters at a hospital in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, show how to prevent measles infection, Monday, as about 10 measles cases have been confirmed in the province. / Yonhap

By Jung Hae-myoung

Infectious diseases are spreading nationwide, including chickenpox, measles and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), putting health authorities on high alert.

This year alone, 5,427 chickenpox patients were reported as of Sunday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said Tuesday.

The number of chickenpox patients has been increasing every year, with more than 96,000 people contracting the disease last year, up 20.4 percent from a year before.

Chickenpox is a viral disease with the highest chance of infection usually from winter to late spring. The virus has an incubation period of 14 to 16 days, and the symptoms include itching, rash and water-drop-shaped blisters all over the body.

Kindergarten and elementary school students who usually spend their day in groups are susceptible to the disease.

“The disease can be prevented if vaccinations are done at the right time. Even if infected, those having had vaccinations experience mild symptoms and rarely develop complications,” an official from the KCDC said.

Measles infections are also constantly rising, with an additional case confirmed in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday, pushing up the number of patients in the city to 10.

The new patient is a three-year-old infant attending the same daycare center with the already confirmed five other infants.

With such group infections, the KCDC designated Ansan, Daegu and Gyeongsan City of North Gyeongsang Province as measles-spreading regions, warning residents there to take extra caution.

RSV is another major virus spread throughout the country, especially among newborns.

The virus started in Incheon, where six newborns were infected in a postnatal care center, with three more confirmed, Tuesday. Ten newborns in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, 31 in Daegu and one on Jeju Island also contracted the disease.

With low immunity, newborns may get pneumonia if the symptoms worsen.