Infected with Bacterial Infectious Disease 'Yubijeo'
Infection Occurs Through Contact with Contaminated Soil and Water
Fatal if Underlying Conditions Like Diabetes Are Present
A teenage girl in Vietnam has died one month after contracting the bacterial infectious disease known as "Yubijeo," shocking the public. The bacteria infects people through contaminated soil or water.
Vietnamese local media outlet 'VN Express' reported on the 19th (local time) that a 15-year-old girl, Ms. A, who lived in the Thanh Hoa region of Vietnam, died about a month after contracting Yubijeo.
Ms. A experienced symptoms such as sore throat, cough, and high fever at the end of last month, and lost 7 kg of weight in just ten days. As her condition worsened, her family and relatives took her to a clinic in the village on the 1st to get medication prescribed.
However, three days later, Ms. A suddenly suffered from difficulty breathing and her blood pressure dropped, leading to her transfer to a nearby pediatric hospital. Blood tests confirmed that Ms. A was infected with the Yubijeo bacteria. It was also found that she had underlying conditions of diabetes and obesity.
The exact circumstances under which Ms. A was exposed to the Yubijeo bacteria have not been revealed. According to an epidemiological investigation by local health authorities, Ms. A and her family had never left their hometown village. They obtained drinking water from a well and did not engage in farming.
The Yubijeo bacteria typically infects people through contact with or inhalation of contaminated soil or water. The bacteria can also enter through wounds on the skin. However, person-to-person transmission is extremely rare.
There have also been cases of tourists contracting the Yubijeo bacteria while traveling abroad. A representative case is broadcaster Park Yong-sik, who died after being infected with Yubijeo during a trip to Cambodia in 2013. According to health authorities, Mr. Park was the first domestic fatality from Yubijeo.
People with underlying conditions such as diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or weakened immunity need to be especially cautious about Yubijeo. Without proper treatment, patients with underlying diseases may face fatal outcomes.
Above all, Yubijeo is an infectious disease for which no vaccine has yet been developed. Therefore, to prevent Yubijeo, it is recommended to avoid touching soil as much as possible in areas where the disease is prevalent, and to boil drinking water once before consumption.
Additionally, VP Express reported that any skin abrasions should be washed thoroughly with clean water.
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