Ulsan City Issues Tick Warning for Tsutsugamushi Disease 'Infection Season'

Ulsan City has urged special caution regarding scrub typhus caused by ticks during the fall season, when outdoor activities are frequent.

From 2021 to 2023, a total of 714 scrub typhus cases were reported in Ulsan. In particular, cases were concentrated in October (132 cases, 18.5%) and November (501 cases, 70.2%).

Scrub typhus infection occurs when ticks, which mainly inhabit bushes, attach to the body and feed on blood as people pass through these areas. The highest incidence is during October and November, when farming and outdoor activities increase in the fall.

Main symptoms include fever, chills, headache, which are similar to early cold symptoms, along with rash, muscle pain, lymph node enlargement, and a black scab at the bite site.

To prevent infection, it is important to follow preventive measures such as wearing separate work clothes and everyday clothes, wearing long sleeves and long pants during outdoor activities, using tick repellents, avoiding sitting in bushes, showering after outdoor activities, and shaking out and washing worn clothes.

An official from Ulsan City stated, “Scrub typhus can be treated with antibiotics, so if any suspicious symptoms appear, it is important to visit a medical institution immediately, inform them of any tick bites and outdoor activities, and receive early treatment.”