Five Medical Staff at Kyungpook National University Hospital Involved in Emergency CPR Confirmed with SFTS

Prevention of Tick-borne Infectious Diseases. Photo by Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Bong-ju] Five medical staff members at Kyungpook National University Hospital who were performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on an emergency patient have been infected with Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS).

Kyungpook National University Hospital announced that five affiliated doctors and nurses have been confirmed positive for SFTS and are receiving treatment, while additional tests are being conducted on eight others.

SFTS is a newly emerging infectious disease first reported in China in 2011. It is mainly contracted through outdoor activities via bites from wild ticks and causes symptoms such as high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and decreased platelet count.

According to an epidemiological investigation by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, it is presumed that the medical staff were infected during approximately four hours of CPR performed on a patient who was admitted to the emergency room with underlying conditions on the 24th of last month and whose condition worsened four days later.

At that time, the medical staff did not know whether the emergency patient had SFTS, and the patient eventually passed away several days later.

A hospital official stated, "This disease is transmitted only through blood or saliva," and added, "The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency is currently conducting an epidemiological investigation."

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