A 20-Year-Old Suspected of 'Level 1 Infectious Disease' After Dining at a Gopchang Restaurant... Menu Items Reviewed

A man in his 20s who ate raw beef liver
shows symptoms of abdominal pain and fever
suspected case of Yato disease, a first-class infectious disease

A suspected case of Yersinia pestis, a first-class infectious disease, has occurred in Suwon City, Gyeonggi Province, prompting health authorities to launch an investigation.

On the 8th, Yonhap News reported, "A blood test of a man in his 20s, Mr. A, who was hospitalized at a local hospital on the 29th of last month with symptoms of abdominal pain and fever, showed a positive reaction to Yersinia pestis." After receiving a report of the suspected Yersinia pestis case from the city, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency requested a serological test from the Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment on the 6th to determine whether it was a confirmed case.

Mr. A, a resident of Suwon, reportedly experienced abdominal pain and fever after eating raw beef liver at a beef tripe restaurant near his home on the 24th of last month. At that time, Mr. A and one companion dined together, but only Mr. A showed symptoms.

A city official stated, "Mr. A's condition improved, and he was discharged on the 2nd of this month, four days after hospitalization," adding, "We were informed that the serological test results would take about one to ten days, and we are currently awaiting the results." The official further noted, "If confirmed as Yersinia pestis, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency is expected to announce the results."

[Image source=Pixabay]

Yersinia pestis is caused by infection with the Yersinia pestis bacterium. It is transmitted through bites or contact with wild rabbits and other wild rodents, or by consuming contaminated food or water.

First discovered in Japan, this disease causes symptoms such as headache, fever, diarrhea, muscle pain, joint pain, dry cough, and weakness.

Previously, in South Korea, a confirmed case was reported in 1997 in Buk-gu, Pohang City, Gyeongsangbuk-do, involving a man in his 40s. He was found to have cooked and eaten a wild rabbit that had been dead for several days in a mountain area.

The hospital suspected that the Yersinia pestis bacteria carried by the wild rabbit penetrated through wounds during the cooking process. The man complained of severe pain in both arms and ribs, and pus developed on his hands, but fortunately, he was fully cured and discharged after about ten days.

Meanwhile, first-class infectious diseases with high severity and transmissibility include Yersinia pestis, Ebola virus disease, smallpox, plague, and anthrax. Although Yersinia pestis is reported to have no transmissibility, it has a high fatality rate if infection occurs through pneumonia or blood transmission.