"Don't Worry About Malaria Prevention"... Dongdaemun-gu Focuses on Infectious Disease Prevention

Focused Disinfection of Septic Tanks and Stagnant Water to Prevent Malaria
"Visit Medical Institutions if Whooping Cough Symptoms Occur"

Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul (Mayor Lee Pil-hyung) is strengthening infectious disease prevention activities to protect residents' health during the summer season.

The goal is to help residents stay healthy throughout the summer by early elimination of infectious disease factors and informing them of preventive measures that can be practiced in daily life.

First, the district will conduct intensive pest control targeting septic tanks and stagnant water, known as major breeding grounds for mosquito larvae.

Focusing on areas where pest-related complaints have been received, the public health center’s pest control task force and special pest control teams from 14 neighborhoods will be dispatched to carry out pest control and disinfection work to suppress mosquito populations and prevent mosquito-borne infectious diseases such as malaria.

Whooping cough, an acute respiratory disease that has recently seen increasing infection cases mainly among school-age children (ages 6 to 12), is also a management target.

An official from the Dongdaemun-gu Public Health Center said, “To prevent whooping cough, it is important to follow basic hygiene rules such as ▲washing hands with soap under running water for at least 30 seconds ▲covering mouth and nose with tissue or sleeve when coughing ▲ventilating rooms at least three times a day. If symptoms occur, visit the nearest medical institution for treatment.”

Whooping cough is an acute respiratory disease characterized by paroxysmal coughing. Although the number of infections decreased with the introduction of the DTaP vaccination, the number of infected children and adolescents worldwide is increasing in 2024.

Lee Pil-hyung, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, said, “Since summer is a season when infectious diseases are rampant, we will do our best to protect the health of our residents.”

Meanwhile, the Dongdaemun-gu Public Health Center is also conducting rapid antigen tests to check for malaria infection among discharged soldiers (residents).