'Fatality Rate 18.7%' No Vaccine or Treatment... First SFTS Death This Year Occurs

Positive SFTS Diagnosis on the 7th
Died After Ten Days

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced on the 10th that the first fatality of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS) this year occurred in Hongcheon-gun, Gangwon Province.

SFTS mainly occurs from April to November, starting in spring when outdoor activities increase and the chances of tick exposure rise. However, not all ticks carry the SFTS virus, and so far, there have been no cases of ticks carrying the SFTS virus found in the Seoul area.

According to the KDCA, an 86-year-old man identified as Mr. A, residing in Hongcheon-gun, died from SFTS on the same day. Mr. A visited a medical institution on May 1st due to symptoms such as fever and was hospitalized for treatment. On the 7th, during his hospitalization, he tested positive for SFTS. His condition worsened, and he passed away on the 10th.

It is known that Mr. A had harvested wild plants and performed farming work in his front yard garden four days before symptoms appeared. SFTS is a disease transmitted by ticks carrying the virus. Symptoms include high fever, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Hard tick. [Provided by Gangwon-do Institute of Health and Environment · Yonhap News]

SFTS mainly occurs from spring to November (April to November), when outdoor activities increase and exposure to ticks is more frequent. Since the first domestic case was reported in 2013, a total of 1,895 cases have been confirmed up to last year, with 355 deaths, resulting in a fatality rate of 18.7%. Currently, there is no vaccine or treatment for SFTS, so the best prevention is to avoid tick bites, the vector of infection.

The KDCA urged, "When engaging in outdoor activities such as farming, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants, and if you experience high fever or gastrointestinal symptoms within two weeks after outdoor activities, immediately visit a medical institution."

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