Collection and Investigation of Disease-Transmitting Ticks in Seoul Hangang Park and Walking Trails

Testing for Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus Carriage Until November

Collecting ticks using the flagging method.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 7th that from this month until November, it will conduct a survey on the habitat distribution of ticks that can transmit Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS) in areas including Hangang Park, urban parks, walking trails, and riversides.

SFTS (Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome) is an infectious disease caused by the SFTS virus, characterized by high fever ranging from 38 to 40℃, accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, as well as a decrease in platelets. It is transmitted through the bite of ticks carrying the SFTS virus, mainly the Haemaphysalis longicornis tick.

This survey is being conducted jointly by the Health and Environment Research Institute, Hangang Project Headquarters, and the Eastern, Central, and Western Park and Greenery Offices. It targets areas where wild animals appear and places frequently used by citizens and their companion animals, such as Hangang Park, ecological parks, and riverside walking trails, where ticks have been observed previously.

To investigate the distribution of tick habitats, ticks are collected using the flagging method, which involves sweeping white cloth over grass. The collected ticks are then classified to determine whether they are species capable of transmitting infectious diseases. For Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks, genetic analysis is conducted to test for the presence of the SFTS virus.

Participating organizations will periodically submit collected ticks to the Seoul Health and Environment Research Institute for testing during the survey period to carry out the habitat distribution investigation. Furthermore, based on the survey results, areas with a high population of Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks will see strengthened preventive measures such as weeding, habitat maintenance, provision of tick repellents, disinfection, and posting of cautionary notices, along with immediate quarantine actions.

Shin Yong-seung, director of the Seoul Health and Environment Research Institute, emphasized, "As social distancing measures implemented to prevent COVID-19 are relaxed and outdoor activities increase, we will thoroughly investigate areas with a high tick population. Although ticks carrying the SFTS virus have not been found in Seoul, since infections have been reported in other regions, special caution is necessary to avoid tick bites during outdoor activities."

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