Japanese Encephalitis Advisory Issued Nationwide... Busan City Urges Compliance with Mosquito Prevention Guidelines

No Specialized Treatment Yet, Prevention of Transmission Important Through Vaccination and Adherence to Preventive Measures

Busan City has urged citizens to be cautious of mosquito bites during outdoor activities and to follow mosquito prevention guidelines, as a Japanese encephalitis advisory has been issued nationwide.

Japanese Encephalitis Vector Mosquito Surveillance Begins.

The Japanese encephalitis advisory is issued when the Japanese encephalitis vector mosquito (Culex tritaeniorhynchus) is first captured in that year. This year, on March 29, the Japanese encephalitis vector mosquito was found in Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do, and Jeju City, leading the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency to issue a nationwide advisory on March 30.

Japanese encephalitis is a disease caused by infection with the Japanese encephalitis virus, which is transmitted primarily through bites from the Culex tritaeniorhynchus mosquito active at night. Most cases are asymptomatic or show mild clinical symptoms such as fever and headache, but some progress to acute encephalitis.

20 to 30% of encephalitis patients die from the disease.

The city explained that since there is no specialized treatment for Japanese encephalitis yet, vaccination and adherence to mosquito prevention guidelines to avoid mosquito bites are of utmost importance.

Mosquito prevention guidelines include ▲using mosquito repellents, mosquito nets, and other mosquito avoidance products to prevent bites ▲wearing light-colored long sleeves and long pants when going outdoors ▲avoiding grassy areas and puddles as much as possible when outside ▲showering when sweaty and washing clothes that have absorbed sweat ▲refraining from using strong perfumes or cosmetics and excessive drinking.

In addition to Japanese encephalitis, the city is also thoroughly conducting prevention and surveillance of mosquito-borne infectious diseases imported from overseas, as overseas travel has surged following the recovery from COVID-19.

Lee Sora, Director of the Citizen Health Bureau of Busan City, stated, “With the recent warmer weather increasing outdoor activities and the surge in overseas travel following the recovery from COVID-19, there is concern about the occurrence of mosquito-borne infectious diseases. We ask all citizens to get vaccinated and strictly follow related prevention guidelines, including personal hygiene and environmental sanitation, to avoid mosquito bites.”