Seoul expands tick surveillance to prevent infection surge during autumn

Seoul is stepping up surveillance of disease-carrying ticks in parks and along walking trails as autumn approaches, following Korea's first Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS) death of the year, reported on Jeju Island on Aug. 5.

From April through October, the Seoul Research Institute of Public Health and Environment is conducting intensive monitoring across high-risk green spaces. Field researchers are targeting Han River parks, ecological reserves, popular hiking paths, barefoot walking zones and dog parks where dense vegetation and human activity intersect.

The institute has collected approximately 480 ticks through August, with laboratory tests confirming zero cases of the SFTS virus among the gathered specimens so far.

First identified in East Asia, SFTS is a viral infection transmitted through the bite of an infected hard tick, primarily the Asian bush tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis). The illness carries a high fatality rate — often between 12 and 30 percent — due to the absence of targeted antiviral treatments or preventive vaccines. Symptoms typically include high fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, alongside a sharp drop in blood platelets and white blood cells that can cause severe complications in vulnerable patients.

Because hard ticks are remarkably small — typically measuring 1 to 9 millimeters — and feed on blood at every stage of development, they are often difficult to spot.

Health officials advise anyone who discovers an attached tick to carefully extract it using fine-tipped tweezers, pulling straight up without crushing the body, or to visit a clinic. Patients who develop fever or gastrointestinal symptoms within a 14-day incubation period following a bite should seek immediate medical care.

Alongside human health surveillance, the institute is monitoring animals that spend time outdoors, testing stray cats and shelter pets. Of the 108 animals tested between April and late July, none tested positive. The agency conducts roughly 200 animal surveillance tests annually to track potential viral reservoirs.

With prevention remaining the primary defense, officials urge outdoor enthusiasts to wear long sleeves, apply tick repellent and sit on ground mats rather than directly on grass. Upon returning home, individuals should shower immediately and check their bodies for ticks, while pet owners should thoroughly inspect their animals' fur, ears and necks.

"As climate change and eco-friendly urban development expand tick habitats, the risk of exposure is steadily rising," said Park Ju-sung, director of the institute. "We will do our utmost to prevent and respond to tick-borne diseases through continuous surveillance and rapid testing."

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.