Current situation of scrub typhus in South Korea from 2001–2013

BACKGROUND: The bacteria Orientia tsutsugamushi is the causative agent of scrub typhus, mite-borne disease, which causes an acute febrile illness in patients. An epidemiologic study was conducted to understand the characteristics of scrub typhus in South Korea. FINDINGS: Reporting of tsutsugamushi d...

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Published in:Parasites & vectors 2015-04, Vol.8 (1), p.238-238, Article 238
Main Authors: Lee, Hyeong-Woo, Cho, Pyo Yun, Moon, Sung-Ung, Na, Byoung-Kuk, Kang, Yoon-Joong, Sohn, Youngjoo, Youn, Seung-Ki, Hong, Yeongseon, Kim, Tong-Soo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age Factors
bacteria
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
coasts
epidemiological studies
Female
History, 21st Century
Humans
Incidence
Male
Medical records
Medical research
Medicine, Experimental
Mites
Orientia tsutsugamushi
patients
Prevalence
Republic of Korea
Republic of Korea - epidemiology
Scrub typhus
Scrub Typhus - epidemiology
Sex Factors
Short Report
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Summary:BACKGROUND: The bacteria Orientia tsutsugamushi is the causative agent of scrub typhus, mite-borne disease, which causes an acute febrile illness in patients. An epidemiologic study was conducted to understand the characteristics of scrub typhus in South Korea. FINDINGS: Reporting of tsutsugamushi disease is mandatory in South Korea since 1994. To investigate the prevalence of tsutsugamushi disease from 2001 to 2013, medical records from the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention were reviewed. In total, 70,914 cases were reported during 2001–2013. Of these, 37.16% (26,349) were male and 62.84% (44,565) were female. The highest number of cases was in the 60–69-year-old age group (19,484; 27.48%), and 72.22% (51,212) were in the 50–79-year-old age group. There were 65,100 cases (91.80%) reported during October (24,964; 35.20%) and November (40,136; 56.60%). An almost four-fold increase in the number of patients was observed in 2013 (10,485 cases) compared to 2001 (2,637 cases). The highest number of patients was reported in the Jeonbuk (9,425; 13.29%) and lowest in the Jeju (362; 0.51%). CONCLUSIONS: A rapid increase in the incidence of patients with tsutsugamushi disease was observed in most areas from 2001 to 2013, with the majority of cases reported in the western and southern coast.
ISSN:1756-3305
1756-3305
DOI:10.1186/s13071-015-0858-6