Distribution of Tick Repellents to Local Residents
Enhanced Surveillance and Education to Prevent Tick-Borne Diseases
Jinan County in North Jeolla Province is making every effort to prevent tick-borne infectious diseases as spring arrives.
On May 7, the county announced that after the first case of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS) in the province this year was confirmed recently, it has strengthened its surveillance system and begun distributing tick repellents to local residents starting this month.
Representative tick-borne infectious diseases include SFTS, which is mainly transmitted by hard ticks in spring, and scrub typhus, which is caused by chigger mites in autumn.
SFTS has an incubation period of 6 to 14 days and is characterized by symptoms such as high fever above 38 degrees Celsius, loss of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea. Scrub typhus presents similar symptoms, but is distinguished by the appearance of a black scab (eschar) at the site of the tick bite.
The county reports around 20 cases of scrub typhus each year, with most infections occurring among farmers in their 70s or older during gardening or farming activities.
In response, the county is maintaining 11 automatic repellent dispensers and 116 repellent storage boxes installed in major tick exposure areas such as hiking trails and park golf courses, while also conducting infectious disease prevention education and promotional activities.
In particular, regular educational visits are being conducted at senior community centers for elderly farmers. In April, the county provided training to 760 participants in senior employment programs in towns and villages, taking a proactive approach.
Since there is no vaccine for tick-borne infectious diseases, following prevention guidelines is known to be the most effective way to prevent infection.
The county health center is urging residents to: ▲ avoid lying or sitting on grass ▲ minimize skin exposure by wearing arm sleeves, gloves, and hats ▲ thoroughly wash clothes and bathe after outdoor activities.
Moon Minsu, head of the Jinan County Health Center, stated, "We will strengthen education and prevention campaigns, focusing on high-risk groups such as forestry and logging workers and grass-cutting laborers," and added, "With the farming season underway, I hope all residents will follow daily prevention guidelines and enjoy a healthy spring."
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