First Detection of 'Vibrio Sepsis Bacteria' This Year on Gyeonggi West Coast

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Vibrio vulnificus bacteria have been detected for the first time on the west coast of Gyeonggi Province.

The Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment announced on the 1st that, since March, it has been conducting a "Vibrio vulnificus surveillance project" and, after investigating 30 seawater samples and 24 mudflat samples from the west coast, confirmed the first Vibrio vulnificus bacteria of the year in seawater collected on the 25th of last month.

Vibrio vulnificus bacteria are mainly detected when seawater temperatures rise above 18℃, and last year, the bacteria were first detected on April 28.

Vibrio vulnificus infection is a Class 3 legally designated infectious disease in South Korea, with an average of about 50 patients nationwide annually.

Over the past five years (2017?2021), the monthly distribution of 257 patients nationwide was ▲September (32.3%) ▲August (31.9%) ▲October (16.0%) ▲July (9.7%), in that order.

During this period, Gyeonggi Province had 45 patients (an average of 9 per year), with 37 cases occurring between August and October, accounting for 82.2% of the total.

This year’s first patient nationwide was a person in their 60s with underlying conditions residing in Gyeonggi Province, who was hospitalized at a hospital in Gyeonggi Province from the 21st of last month due to symptoms such as fever and chills, and was confirmed to have Vibrio vulnificus infection on the 26th.

Vibrio vulnificus infection occurs when contaminated seafood is eaten raw or when skin wounds come into contact with contaminated seawater.

In particular, people with liver disease, alcoholics, and immunocompromised patients should avoid eating raw seafood, and those with skin wounds should avoid contact with seawater. Since the fatality rate can increase up to 50% in patients with underlying diseases, special caution is required.

Park Yong-bae, director of the Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment, said, "Vibrio vulnificus is a disease with a very high fatality rate, so we will expand inspections of mudflats and other areas in preparation for the increase in visitors to the seaside during summer," and urged, "People with skin wounds or underlying conditions such as liver disease should be especially careful when traveling to the seaside."

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