Gangwon Province has issued its first malaria alert of the year for Yanggu County.
According to Gangwon State on the 9th, the province issued the region's first malaria alert for Yanggu County effective the 10th. The measure follows a notable increase in vector mosquitoes in Yanggu, after the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency issued a nationwide malaria advisory on the 22nd of last month. An alert is issued to prevent community spread when two or more clustered cases occur after an advisory, or when the average daily number of vector mosquitoes in the same city or county reaches 5.0 or higher for two consecutive weeks. In Gukto Jeongjung-myeon of Yanggu, the average daily number of vector mosquitoes rose from 5.1 in the third week of June to 7.3 in the fourth week, exceeding the threshold for two consecutive weeks.
Malaria is a disease caused by infection with Plasmodium vivax through bites from Anopheles mosquitoes. Chills, high fever, and sweating recur at 48-hour intervals, and may be accompanied by headache, vomiting, or diarrhea. In Korea, the disease mainly occurs in Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi, and northern Gangwon. In Gangwon, six cities and counties, including Yanggu, Chuncheon, Cheorwon, Hwacheon, Inje, and Goseong, are designated as high-risk areas.
Gangwon Province decided to raise its response level following the alert. The province will expand a pilot project for self-testing with rapid diagnostic kits to detect patients quickly, and intensively control habitats where vector mosquitoes gather. It also decided to strengthen preventive awareness activities targeting local residents and visitors.
Yoo Ji-young, director of the province's welfare and health bureau, said the most reliable way to prevent infection is to avoid mosquito bites, urging compliance with prevention rules such as refraining from outdoor activities at night and using repellents. She added that anyone who develops a fever or feels chills after being bitten should not delay in getting a rapid diagnostic test at a public health center or hospital.
