SUWON — Gyeonggi Province issued a malaria alert for Yeoncheon County on the 9th, following earlier alerts for Paju, Gimpo and Goyang.
The measure came after the first cluster case was confirmed in Yeoncheon since the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency placed the entire country under a malaria advisory on June 22.
A malaria alert is issued when the first cluster case emerges after a nationwide advisory, or when the average daily count of malaria-carrying mosquitoes in a single municipality stays at 5.0 or higher for two consecutive weeks. It is a response measure aimed at containing community spread early.
A cluster case is defined as two or more patients in a malaria risk area whose symptoms begin within 14 days of each other and whose residences are within 1 kilometer.
The province's first malaria alert of the year was issued for Paju on July 9. Gimpo followed on Aug. 3 and Goyang on Aug. 21, with Yeoncheon now added to the list.
Gyeonggi Province plans to conduct an in-depth epidemiological investigation focused on the presumed infection sites of the cluster patients. The survey will examine mosquito breeding conditions, the state of areas around the patients' residences, others exposed at the same locations and other risk factors.
Public outreach in Yeoncheon will also be stepped up to identify additional patients early. The province said it will intensively distribute guidance on suspected symptoms through local medical and pharmacist associations, and will notify residents and visitors of infection risks through emergency text alerts and the media.
Intensive control operations will also target areas around patients and mosquito breeding sites. Follow-up steps tied to the alert include rapid diagnostic testing for early detection and the provision of preventive medication.
According to the KDCA's infectious disease portal, 295 malaria cases had been reported nationwide this year as of Sept. 9. Of those, 163 were in Gyeonggi Province, accounting for about 55% of the national total.
"In malaria risk areas, mosquito control must be strengthened and preventive guidelines followed to avoid bites," said Yoo Young-chul, director general of Gyeonggi Province's health bureau. "Residents and visitors who develop suspected symptoms such as fever should get tested promptly at a nearby public health center or medical institution."
