Gwangju City Health and Environment Research Institute Confirms First SFTS Virus in Ticks This Year

Wearing Long-Sleeved Clothes for Outdoor Activities, Reminder to Wash and Shower

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] The Gwangju Metropolitan City Health and Environment Research Institute announced on the 26th that it has confirmed the Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS) virus for the first time this year in wild ticks collected through a local febrile disease vector surveillance project, urging caution during outdoor activities.

To proactively respond to tick-borne infectious diseases caused by climate change, the institute collects wild ticks every month throughout the year from forests near local hills and hiking trails, as well as from riverside floodplains, to investigate various febrile disease pathogens such as SFTS and Lyme disease.

Among these, one case each of SFTS and Lyme disease, which can cause infectious diseases in humans, were finally confirmed and diagnosed through genetic sequence analysis.

SFTS is a Class 3 legally designated infectious disease transmitted by ticks. Since 2013, Gwangju City has confirmed 46 cases of SFTS in patients, but this is the first time the SFTS virus has been detected in wild ticks.

SFTS occurs from April to November when bitten by ticks (mainly Haemaphysalis longicornis), characterized by high fever accompanied by digestive symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, and thrombocytopenia. There is no specific treatment or vaccine, and the fatality rate is known to be about 20%.

Park Jong-jin, head of the Infectious Disease Investigation Division, said, “To avoid tick bites, it is important to wear long sleeves and long pants during outdoor activities, and after finishing work, be sure to wash worn clothes and take a shower. After walking pets, carefully check if ticks are attached to the body.” He added, “If symptoms such as high fever (38℃ or higher), vomiting, or diarrhea appear within two weeks after outdoor activities, you should visit a medical institution without delay.”

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