Four areas including Incheon's Ganghwa-gun and Gangwon's Yanggu-gun meet threshold

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South Korea's Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency issued a nationwide malaria caution Monday.

The KDCA said a rise in the density of malaria-carrying mosquitoes had met the threshold for issuing the alert.

A malaria caution is issued when three or more cities, counties or districts record a daily average mosquito index — the number of mosquitoes caught per trap — of 0.5 or higher. Surveillance data from the 24th week of this year showed four areas exceeding the threshold: Paju in Gyeonggi Province (0.8), Ganghwa-gun in Incheon (1.0), Yanggu-gun in Gangwon Province (0.7) and Guro-gu in Seoul (0.5).

The caution was issued at the same point in the year as last year. However, domestic malaria cases recorded from January through June 13 totaled 74, down 45.6 percent from the same period last year.

By region, Gyeonggi Province accounted for the most cases at 43, followed by Incheon with 17 and Seoul with 8. Epidemiological investigations identified the main suspected infection sites as Paju, Yeoncheon-gun, Gimpo and Goyang's Ilsan Seo-gu in Gyeonggi Province, and Ganghwa-gun in Incheon.

The KDCA said mosquito control, bite prevention and prompt diagnosis and treatment are critical to containing the spread of malaria. Health authorities are closely monitoring malaria trends as rising summer temperatures and frequent rainfall expand mosquito habitats.

The agency urged local governments and facilities subject to mandatory disinfection to intensify control efforts targeting larval breeding sites and adult resting areas. Medical institutions in high-risk zones were advised to actively test patients with fevers of 37.5 degrees Celsius or above for malaria infection.

The KDCA also recommended that people limit nighttime outings and outdoor activities during peak mosquito season from April through October, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when going out, and apply insect repellent regularly.

"Anyone who lives in a malaria-risk area, or who has visited such an area for travel, military service or other reasons and develops symptoms such as fever, should seek medical care at a nearby public health center or medical institution," the KDCA said.


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