Gwangju Health and Environment Research Institute Urges Confirmation of Epidemic Infectious Diseases by Country

Gwangju City Hall

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] The Gwangju Metropolitan City Health and Environment Research Institute urged citizens planning overseas travel to be sure to check infectious disease information by country.

In particular, the novel coronavirus that recently emerged in Wuhan, China has also been confirmed in Thailand and Japan, and cases of dengue fever and measles have been continuously reported after traveling to Southeast Asia such as the Philippines and Vietnam, requiring special caution.

According to Gwangju City on the 26th, in Southeast Asia, attention should be paid to febrile diseases transmitted by mosquitoes such as dengue fever, Zika virus, chikungunya fever, and malaria, as well as respiratory-transmitted measles, and waterborne diseases such as typhoid fever, bacterial dysentery, and hepatitis A that can be contracted by consuming contaminated water or food.

Dengue fever, mainly contracted in Southeast Asia, is transmitted by forest mosquitoes distributed in tropical regions. About 75% of infected individuals are asymptomatic, but some show symptoms such as fever, rash, headache, and muscle pain after an incubation period of 3 to 14 days.

If not properly treated, it can progress to dengue shock syndrome, which is known to have a mortality rate of 20%.

Also, waterborne diseases such as typhoid fever and bacterial dysentery cause digestive symptoms like chills, headache, and diarrhea, and in severe cases, complications such as gastrointestinal bleeding and perforation may occur.

Dengue fever, Zika virus, and malaria, which are prevalent in Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines, do not yet have preventive vaccines developed, so avoiding mosquito bites is the most important measure. Wearing long-sleeved clothes and long pants to reduce skin exposure and carrying mosquito repellent are also among the preventive methods.

In this regard, the City Health and Environment Research Institute is continuously conducting tests on imported infectious diseases in cooperation with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, public health centers, and hospitals and clinics in Gwangju.

Last year, the number of reported imported legal infectious disease cases in the Gwangju area totaled 637, among which 12 cases of measles, 2 cases of dengue fever, and 1 case of chikungunya fever tested positive. Additionally, 22 cases were referred with symptoms such as diarrhea after overseas travel, and among them, 19 cases were confirmed to have typhoid fever, bacterial dysentery, etc.

Seo Jin-jong, head of the Infectious Disease Investigation Division, said, “During overseas travel, avoid contact with wild animals, be careful not to get bitten by mosquitoes, and do not eat or drink carelessly. Before traveling abroad, check infectious disease occurrence information by country on the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency website or call center 1339, and always be cautious during travel.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.