Hampyeong County Launches All-Out Response to Prevent Mosquito-Borne Diseases

On July 9, Hampyeong County in South Jeolla Province announced that it has entered a full-scale emergency quarantine system to protect residents' health from mosquito-borne infectious diseases, which are prevalent during the summer season.

Due to the ongoing hot and humid weather, the risk of mosquito-borne diseases such as Japanese encephalitis and Zika virus infection has increased. In response, the county has designated a concentrated quarantine period until September and organized nine quarantine teams to systematically carry out disinfection activities.

The Hampyeong Public Health Center is regularly conducting fogging and spraying disinfection throughout all nine towns and townships, including Hampyeong-eup. Intensive quarantine is also being carried out in residential areas, riversides, livestock farms, and areas vulnerable to disease, using portable quarantine equipment. In addition, the county is making an all-out effort by combining aerial disinfection using drones, mobile disinfection with quarantine vehicles, and voluntary community quarantine.

The Culex tritaeniorhynchus mosquito, which is the main vector of Japanese encephalitis, continues to be collected in South Jeolla Province. As a result, the county is also focusing on public awareness campaigns, including promoting prevention guidelines and providing preventive information to children and the elderly in the community.

County Governor Lee Sangik stated, "The most effective way to prevent mosquito-borne diseases is to avoid mosquito bites." He urged, "We ask for residents' active cooperation by wearing long, light-colored clothing when going out, using mosquito repellent, maintaining window screens, and participating in voluntary quarantine efforts."