8 SFTS patients occurred in Jeju this year... “Beware of ticks in the fall”

Two people also had typhus... When doing outdoor activities, wear long clothes and avoid contact with grass.

(Jeju = Yonhap News) Reporter Byeon Ji-cheol = Jeju Island on the 7th asked people to be careful of tick-borne infectious diseases as the fall season becomes more active, such as agricultural work and hiking and hiking trails.

This year, eight patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) and two patients with typhus typhus occurred in Jeju until last month.

Last year, there were 16 patients with SFTS and 18 patients with typhus typhus.

Tick ​​larvae that transmit scrub typhus are mainly active in the fall, and ticks that transmit SFTS are active from spring to fall.

To prevent tick-borne infectious diseases, you should reduce skin exposure by wearing long sleeves, long pants, a hat, and gloves during agricultural work or outdoor activities, and tuck the bottom of your pants into socks.

Do not leave your clothes in the grass and use a mat when resting. After returning home, it is a good idea to wash your clothes and shower immediately to check for ticks on your body.

If you forcefully pull a tick attached to your skin, some parts may remain on the skin, so it is best to seek out a medical institution to have it removed.

After being bitten by a tick, you should watch for symptoms such as fever, vomiting, and diarrhea for about 14 days.

If symptoms such as fever, chills, or muscle pain appear after outdoor activities, do not treat it as a cold, but seek treatment at a medical institution.

Scrub typhus usually has an incubation period of less than 10 days and is characterized by fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, rash, and black scabs at the bite site.

After an incubation period of 5 to 14 days, SFTS can cause fever above 38 degrees, chills, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. In severe cases, the function of various organs may decline or death may result.