Number of scrub typhus patients increased more than fivefold in two weeks... "Characteristic of 'black scabs'"

More than half of the cases of tsutsugamushi disease in the country occur in November.

These days, many people are going to see the fall foliage, and since the weather is nice, you're probably engaging in a lot of outdoor activities, right?

Scrub typhus typically has an incubation period of about 1 to 3 weeks.

After outdoor activities, immediately shake out your clothes and wash them.

Please be sure to check for any wounds or ticks attached to your body while showering~

 

[Seoul=Newsis] Bite mark from a tick larva (Photo=Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency website)

 

As autumn deepens, the risk of tick-borne infectious disease, tsutsugamushi fever, is also increasing.

If you go leaf-peeping or work outdoors in the fields and afterward feel chills and develop black scabs on your skin, you should go to the hospital immediately for treatment.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on the 5th, the number of scrub typhus cases that occurred from October 24 to 30, during the 44th week, was 312, an increase of over 90 from the previous 43rd week (221 cases).

The number of patients with Tsutsugamushi disease has gradually increased from the end of September, with 9 patients in week 40, 18 in week 41, and 57 in week 42, and has recently surged sharply. Comparing week 42 and week 44, the number has increased more than fivefold in just two weeks.

Usually, more than half of the cases of tsutsugamushi disease in Korea occur in November, because the chigger mites, the main vectors of the disease, become highly active around this time.

During the summer, eggs of the hair mite hatch in early autumn. As the larvae that hatch from the eggs actively approach hosts to grow, the likelihood of humans being bitten increases.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's surveillance results for scrub typhus vector mites, the mite trap index increased from 0.29 in week 42 to 0.41 in week 43.

Scrub typhus typically has an incubation period of about 1 to 3 weeks, followed by sudden onset of headache, fever, and chills. Symptoms such as cough, vomiting, and muscle aches may also occur. A scab (black crust) forms at the site where the mite bit.

If treated with appropriate antibiotics in the early stages of infection, recovery is relatively easy, but there are cases where the timing of treatment is missed due to mistaken diagnosis of a simple cold or flu. Therefore, health authorities recommend visiting a hospital immediately for diagnosis if related symptoms appear during the fall season.

To prevent tsutsugamushi disease, it is necessary to wear long sleeves and long pants during outdoor work and activities to reduce skin exposure. Additionally, when sitting on grassy fields, avoid leaving clothes in the bushes and use a mat.

After outdoor activities, immediately shake out your clothes and wash them, and while showering, check for any wounds or attached ticks on your body. If symptoms of suspicion appear, you should visit a health center or medical facility immediately.

<Source: Newsis>