Gyeonggi Province issued its first malaria alert of the year for the city of Paju on the 9th.
The measure followed the confirmation of the first cluster case in Paju, after the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) issued a nationwide malaria advisory on the 22nd of last month.
A malaria alert is issued when the first cluster case occurs after a nationwide malaria advisory, or when the daily average number of vector mosquitoes in the same city, county, or district reaches 5.0 or higher for two consecutive weeks.
A cluster case refers to instances within a malaria risk area where two or more patients develop symptoms within 14 days of each other and live within 1 kilometer of one another.
Gyeonggi Province plans to conduct an in-depth epidemiological investigation to identify the presumed infection areas of the cluster case patients, the mosquito habitat environment, and the surroundings of their residences. It will also investigate people exposed together and risk factors.
The province instructed Paju to take action to detect additional patients early. It directed that citizens and visitors be informed of the possibility of infection through intensive publicity via the local medical and pharmaceutical associations, emergency text messages, and announcements in the media.
It also called for the active promotion of measures under the alert, including intensive control of areas around patients and vector mosquito habitats, rapid diagnostic testing, and the provision of preventive medication.
According to the KDCA's infectious disease portal, 169 malaria patients had been reported nationwide this year as of July 9. Of these, 94 were in Gyeonggi Province, accounting for approximately 55.6 percent of the national total.
"In malaria risk areas, vector mosquito control must be strengthened and preventive guidelines must be followed to avoid mosquito bites," said Yoo Young-chul, director general of Gyeonggi Province's Public Health and Welfare Bureau.
"Residents and visitors in risk areas should get tested promptly at a nearby public health center or medical institution if suspected symptoms appear," he added.
