Incheon City announced on the 18th that it has issued a malaria alert for Ganghwa-gun and will strengthen control measures against mosquito habitats.
The city took this action following the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's issuance of a nationwide malaria advisory on the 18th of last month, and due to a recent increase in the population of Anopheles mosquitoes, the malaria vectors, in Ganghwa-gun.
A malaria alert is issued to prevent local outbreaks when the average daily number of vector mosquitoes exceeds 5.0 for two consecutive weeks in the same county or district after an advisory has been issued. In the case of Ganghwa-gun, the average daily number of vector mosquitoes has exceeded 5.0 for two consecutive weeks since the fourth week of last month.
The number of malaria patients in Incheon was 46 in 2021, 63 in 2022, and 126 in 2023, with 27 cases reported as of last month this year. Malaria is transmitted when bitten by female Anopheles mosquitoes and has an incubation period of 7 to 30 days, after which symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, and diarrhea appear.
The city plans to intensify focused control of mosquito habitats and actively promote malaria prevention guidelines to citizens, including residents in high-risk areas.
An Incheon city official emphasized, "The most important thing is to follow prevention guidelines to avoid mosquito bites," and urged, "If you experience suspicious symptoms such as fever or chills, you should immediately visit a medical institution for testing."
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