Beware of 'Dengue Fever' When Visiting Southeast Asia... Cases Increased 8 Times Over 20 Years

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] The quarantine authorities have recently advised caution against dengue fever infection when visiting Southeast Asian countries as overseas travel has become more active.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) urged on the 1st that citizens preparing to travel to Southeast Asia should be careful not to get infected with dengue fever, as cases of dengue fever infection after visiting countries such as Vietnam have been continuously occurring.

Dengue fever is an infectious disease that occurs in more than 100 countries worldwide with over 100 million cases annually. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the global incidence of dengue fever has increased more than eightfold over the past 20 years due to the activation of international exchanges.

In particular, this year, dengue fever is surging mainly in Southeast Asia. As of September this year, the reported cases by major countries are: Vietnam 224,771, the Philippines 160,956, Thailand 19,484, and Indonesia 94,355.

Domestic dengue fever patients have been continuously reported every year through overseas importation. Although the number of patients sharply decreased over the past two years due to reduced overseas travel, it is increasing again this year. As of the 31st of last month, 59 patients were reported as imported cases, with the estimated countries of infection being Vietnam 21, the Philippines 6, Thailand 6, Indonesia 6, India 5, and Singapore 4, in that order.

Among the 708 domestic dengue fever patients reported over the past six years since 2017, cases infected in Southeast Asia (611 patients) account for 86.3% of the total.

Dengue fever is transmitted by bites from forest mosquitoes infected with the dengue virus. After an incubation period of 3 to 14 days, symptoms such as sudden high fever, headache, rash, and muscle pain appear. About 5% of patients may develop severe dengue infection (dengue shock syndrome, dengue hemorrhagic fever) and can die. Since there are currently no vaccines or treatments for dengue fever, avoiding mosquito bites is the most important preventive measure.

The KDCA urged citizens planning to visit dengue risk areas such as Vietnam to follow preventive measures. First, it is recommended to familiarize oneself with the precautions for each destination, prepare mosquito repellents and essential medicines. During the visit, it is advised to avoid mosquito-prone grassy areas or mountains as much as possible and to wear light-colored or long-sleeved clothing.

If suspected symptoms of dengue fever occur within two weeks after returning from the visit, one should visit a nearby medical institution and inform the medical staff of recent overseas travel history. Blood donation should be avoided during the four-week deferral period following infection.

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