Outdoor Alert: Warning Issued for Tick-Borne Infectious Diseases

Jeonnam Province Urges Wearing Long Sleeves and Taking Precautions During Outdoor Activities

Tick-Borne Infectious Disease Prevention Guide Poster. Provided by Jeonnam Province

Jeonnam Province has issued a warning to minimize skin exposure by wearing long sleeves during outdoor activities, as tick activity is expected to increase and the tick population is likely to surge due to recent rises in temperature. This is part of efforts to prevent tick-borne infectious diseases.

Representative tick-borne infectious diseases include Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS) and Tsutsugamushi disease. The risk of infection increases as outdoor activities such as farming, hiking, camping, and grass cutting become more frequent.

SFTS is transmitted through bites from hard ticks, commonly referred to as "killer ticks." After an incubation period of 5 to 14 days, symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and muscle pain may appear. If the condition worsens, it can lead to serious complications such as thrombocytopenia and liver dysfunction.

Tsutsugamushi disease is a mite-borne infectious disease. After an incubation period of up to 10 days, symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, and rash may develop, and an eschar (black scab) can form at the site of the bite. Although recovery is usually easy with antibiotic treatment, delayed treatment can result in complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis, so caution is necessary.

When engaging in outdoor activities, it is advisable to wear long sleeves, long pants, and a hat to minimize skin exposure, and to use tick repellents.

It is also recommended not to sit directly on grass but to use a mat or picnic blanket, and after returning home, to immediately shake out and wash clothing and take a shower to check for any ticks attached to the body.

Jeonnam Province is creating an environment to prevent the spread of tick-borne infectious diseases by distributing more than 38,000 tick repellents at key locations such as hiking trail entrances and community centers, and by conducting promotional activities for prevention.

Jung Kwangsun, Director of Health and Welfare at Jeonnam Province, emphasized, "Please strictly follow prevention guidelines during outdoor activities or farming, and if you experience symptoms such as fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, visit a medical institution immediately for examination."