[Exclusive] 'The Second AIDS' Lyme Disease Doubles in One Year... The Assault of Climate Diseases

Lyme Disease Cases Since First Confirmed in 2011 Rose from 2 to 48
Malaria Outbreak Hits 747 Cases... Largest in 11 Years
"Shorter Winters Improve Breeding Conditions"
No Dedicated Budget for Climate Diseases... "Response Strategy Needed"

Red spots and a faint ring surrounding them appear on the arm of a Lyme disease patient. Photo by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

As global warming raises temperatures on the Korean Peninsula, climate-related diseases are also increasing. Lyme disease, which had never occurred before 2010, saw the highest number of cases last year, and malaria patients, which had been decreasing due to eradication efforts, are on the rise again. There are calls for Korea to establish a separate budget and response system for climate diseases, similar to major advanced countries.

According to data on the “Trend of Zoonotic Infectious Disease Cases” obtained by Asia Economy from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on the 25th, Lyme disease was tentatively reported to have 48 cases last year. Compared to 22 cases the previous year, it more than doubled in one year. Korea had no cases of Lyme disease until 2010, but since 2011, starting with 2 cases, Lyme disease has occurred every year.

Lyme disease is an infectious disease caused by ticks biting humans. It is endemic to the northeastern United States and is mainly found in deer. It belongs to the same genus as the bacterium that causes syphilis, Treponema pallidum, specifically the Borrelia genus, and is called the “second AIDS.” If untreated early, it can cause encephalitis or arrhythmia, and symptoms such as facial paralysis or memory loss may appear.

The number of malaria cases in Korea, which causes 200 to 300 million deaths annually worldwide, has also started to increase again. Originally, malaria cases were decreasing due to the government’s active prevention and eradication efforts. The number of cases, which reached 1,777 in 2010, had dropped to the 400?500 range. In 2021, it recorded a historic low of 294 cases but increased to 420 the following year and surged to 747 last year. This is the highest number in 11 years.

Climate change is cited as the cause of the increase in Lyme disease and malaria. Warmer temperatures extend the active period of vectors and expand their habitats. A KDCA official explained, “The cause of the outbreak cannot be attributed to a single reason,” but added, “The shortening of winter makes it easier for ticks and mosquitoes to breed, which is an effect of climate change.”

The international community is on alert for 'climate diseases'... Korea lacks a dedicated budget

This phenomenon is also observed overseas. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Lyme disease cases confirmed in the U.S. increased by 44% from 1999 to 2019. In 2022, researchers at Kunming University of Science and Technology in China analyzed that 14% of the global population had contracted Lyme disease and attributed the cause to “longer and drier summers due to climate change.” The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) also reported that West Nile virus infections, one of the infectious diseases, surged more than sixfold from 159 cases in 2021 to 1,112 cases in 2022.

International health experts have warned that if the climate crisis accelerates, related diseases could become more widespread. Maria Guevara, the medical activities director of M?decins Sans Fronti?res, issued a statement last year saying, “With the worsening climate crisis, the incidence of (climate diseases) is expected to increase further, which is concerning,” and predicted, “Annual malaria cases will increase by 15 million in the future.”

Major advanced countries have begun actively addressing climate diseases. The European Union (EU) discussed measures against heat-related illnesses and tropical diseases caused by mosquitoes and other pests at the health ministers’ meeting last year. Since 20 out of 27 member countries must establish countermeasures, they requested the European Commission to expand medical support and services. Japan also has health agencies collecting information and data to prepare for health risks related to climate change and has established infectious disease response plans based on weather phenomena.

Korea does not allocate a separate budget for climate diseases. Budgets are assigned only for climate change prevention or individual diseases. This year, the KDCA’s budget for routine and emerging infectious diseases is 1.1608 trillion KRW and 110.8 billion KRW, respectively. Among these, the budget for mosquito-borne infectious disease prevention increased from 900 million KRW to 1.5 billion KRW, but there was no mention of climate change in the emerging infectious disease budget.

There are calls in Korea to comprehensively address climate diseases. The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs pointed out in its report “Current Status and Tasks of Climate Health Resilience in Korea” last year that “there is no systematic response strategy for health risks despite the frequent occurrence of extreme weather events.” It emphasized, “Research and response strategies should be continuously developed at the national level, and a system should be established to effectively respond to various risks.”