Gurye-gun Conducts Tick-borne Infectious Disease Prevention Education

Published 19 Jun.2023 14:32(KST)

Directly Visiting Villages to Provide Preventive Education

Gurye-gun, Jeollanam-do, is a region where farmland and forest area account for more than 90% of the total area, making residents highly likely to be exposed to tick-borne infectious diseases.

Accordingly, the county announced that it has been conducting ‘Tick-borne Infectious Disease Prevention Education Visiting Villages Directly’ since June.

According to the county, while the incidence rates of other infectious diseases have decreased over the past three years, the incidence rate of tick-borne infectious diseases has increased. The county diagnosed that this was due to the reduced effectiveness of infectious disease prevention caused by restrictions on face-to-face education due to COVID-19.

[Photo by Gurye-gun]

Therefore, to reduce the incidence rate of tick-borne infectious diseases, the county started the ‘Tick-borne Infectious Disease Prevention Education Visiting Villages Directly’ project this year.

The education officer explained that to enhance the effectiveness of the education, specially made customized educational materials were used, and clothing, hats, boots, arm sleeves, and aprons that residents actually wear were purchased from the market to demonstrate the correct way to wear clothing and use auxiliary tools.

In addition, there was a session to listen to the experiences of residents who had contracted tsutsugamushi disease, which received a high level of response from the residents.

Kim Hyeong-jin, Director of the Health and Medical Center, said, “This year, automatic insect repellent dispensers were installed at Hwaeomsa Temple parking lot, the entrance to the Piagol hiking trail, the entrance to the Bongsungsan walking trail, the entrance to Seosicheon, and the bamboo forest path to prevent tick-borne infectious diseases.” He added, “We ask everyone to do their best to follow infectious disease prevention rules, such as using insect repellents and auxiliary tools during outdoor activities, to avoid contracting tick-borne infectious diseases.”

He continued, “Next year, we plan to expand the number of villages targeted for infectious disease prevention education and to implement more resident-participatory education programs that residents can directly participate in and empathize with.”