Monitoring 'Teoljindeugi' Causing 'Ttsutsugamushi Disease'... "Caution for Outdoor Activities in Autumn"

KDCA Provides Occurrence Information from 18 Surveillance Sites Nationwide

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced on the 23rd that it will begin monitoring the occurrence of chigger mites, the main vectors of scrub typhus, starting from the 24th as the high-risk period for scrub typhus infection approaches.

The chigger mite surveillance project monitors the occurrence of chigger mites weekly until December in 18 areas across 9 provinces nationwide. Chigger mites are collected from rice paddies, fields, waterways, and grasslands where there is a risk of human contact, and this information is disclosed on the KDCA website.

According to last year's surveillance results, chigger mite larvae laid in summer begin to hatch in early autumn, with their numbers sharply increasing from mid-October and peaking at the end of October. The number of chigger mites and scrub typhus patients showed similar fluctuations with a latency period of 1 to 3 weeks.

In Korea, chigger mites that transmit the scrub typhus bacteria include Haepunsun chigger mite, Daepip chigger mite, Suyeom chigger mite, and Dongyang chigger mite. It has been confirmed that Haepunsun chigger mites dominate in the southern regions, while Daepip chigger mites are predominant in the central regions.

Scrub typhus is mainly transmitted in September and October when larvae of chigger mites carrying the scrub typhus bacteria bite humans, causing symptoms such as fever, eschar (a scab formed at the bite site), maculopapular rash, and lymphadenopathy. Since chigger mite larvae are too small to be identified with the naked eye, it is necessary to check for bite marks after outdoor activities.

The KDCA advised wearing long sleeves, long pants, hats, neck scarves, arm sleeves, gloves, socks, and boots during outdoor work and activities, and to avoid leaving clothes in grassy areas. It is recommended to use a mat when resting outdoors, wash work clothes immediately after outdoor work, and take a shower promptly.

Baek Kyung-ran, Commissioner of the KDCA, stated, "Scrub typhus occurs acutely after an incubation period, and although it can be relatively easily treated with antibiotics in the early stages of infection, it is often mistaken for a simple cold or flu, causing delays in treatment." She urged, "If symptoms such as headache, fever, chills, vomiting, rash, muscle pain, or cough occur after outdoor activities in autumn, please visit a medical institution immediately."

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