First Discovery of 'Japanese Encephalitis Mosquito' in Chungnam... Emergence One Month Earlier Than Last Year

Japanese encephalitis vector mosquito, 'Aedes japonicus'. Source=Asia Economy DB

[Asia Economy (Naepo) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The first Japanese encephalitis vector mosquito of the year has been found in Chungnam.

The Chungnam Provincial Institute of Health and Environment announced on the 17th that the Japanese encephalitis vector mosquito, the small red house mosquito (Culex tritaeniorhynchus), was recently discovered and reported to quarantine authorities.

The institute collected about 500 mosquitoes in Yesan, Chungnam on the 15th, and confirmed that some of them were small red house mosquitoes.

The first appearance of the small red house mosquito in Chungnam this year was one month earlier than last year. This is presumed to be due to the recent continuation of hot and humid conditions, which have improved the breeding environment.

With the appearance of the small red house mosquito, the institute plans to investigate the density of mosquito occurrence to use as basic data for issuing Japanese encephalitis "advisories" and "warnings," and will provide the investigation results to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Chungnam Province, and 15 cities and counties within Chungnam.

Prior to this, the institute has installed light traps for mosquito collection in the Yesan area since April, when mosquito activity begins, and has been conducting collection and classification twice a week.

Meanwhile, Japanese encephalitis is a zoonotic viral infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes, with an incubation period of 1 to 2 weeks.

More than 95% of infected individuals are asymptomatic or experience mild symptoms such as fever without realizing they are infected. However, if the virus invades the brain, it can cause high fever, seizures, unconsciousness, and coma, with a 30% mortality rate. Even if recovered, patients may suffer from various complications, requiring special caution.

An official from the institute said, "Since there is no appropriate treatment for Japanese encephalitis, vaccination is essential to prevent infection," and urged, "Households should use repellents and mosquito nets and avoid outdoor activities at night to prevent mosquito bites."

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