South Korea issues national malaria alert after finding parasites

JAKARTA - South Korean health authorities have issued a national malaria alert after detecting the parasite that causes the disease in mosquitoes.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said genetic material from the Plasmodium vivax malaria parasite was detected in Anopheles mosquitoes collected in Paju and Yeoncheon, northern South Korea, between July 27 and August 2.

"The discovery of parasites in vector mosquitoes means that the possibility of contracting malaria due to bites from infected mosquitoes has increased," the agency said in a statement on Thursday, August 13, as reported by ANTARA from Anadolu.

The national warning followed a malaria warning issued on June 22 due to an increase in the number of vector mosquitoes. Previously, warnings had also been issued in five regions due to clusters of cases and a surge in mosquito populations.

Despite the national alert, South Korea recorded 201 cases of locally transmitted malaria between January 1 and August 1; that figure was down 43.4 percent from 355 cases in the same period last year.

Historically, malaria cases in South Korea have been concentrated in areas near the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) that separates the country from North Korea, although the risk area has expanded in recent years.

The national alert comes amid an unusually hot summer in South Korea. However, the KDCA said the density of malaria vector mosquitoes was still lower than last year, partly due to extreme heat.

Health officials are warning that mosquito populations could rebound once extreme heat abates, and are urging authorities in malaria-risk areas to strengthen mosquito control measures.

They also appealed to residents and visitors in malaria-risk areas to avoid outdoor activities at night, wear covered clothing (long sleeves and pants), and use anti-mosquito drugs, protective gauze, and mosquito nets.

People who experience symptoms suspected of being malaria, including fever and chills, are advised to undergo a check-up at a community health center or medical facility.