Korean J Parasitol.
2001 Sep;39(3):223-226. 10.3347/kjp.2001.39.3.223.
Epidemiologic characteristics of malaria in non-malarious area, Jeollabuk-do, Korea in 2000
- Affiliations
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- 1Epidemic Intelligence Service, Division of Health and Sanitation, Jeollabuk-do Province Office, Jeonju, Korea. solekim@kornet.net
- KMID: 1039172
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2001.39.3.223
Abstract
- In South Korea, the north border area has been under vivax malaria epidemic since 1993. However, Jeollabuk-do, which is about 300 kms from the border, has not experienced the same epidemic. I investigated a total of 58 notified cases of malaria in Jeollabuk-do in the year 2000. All of the cases had an exposure history in the epidemic area. Among them were 49 ex-soldiers, 3 soldiers who served near the border area and 6 civilians who traveled there. The causal agent of all cases was Plasmodium vivax. Except the civilians, the soldiers and ex-soldiers were aged in their twenties. In the present study, the incubation period was from 6 to 520 days with a median of 157 days, and the latent onset type (92%) was more prevalent than the early onset type. Illness onset of most cases (86%) peaked during the summer season (June to September) despite of variable incubation periods. The time lag for diagnosis ranged from 2 to 42 days with a median of 11 days. Jeollabuk-do has not been an area of epidemic until now, but incidences have been increasing annually since 1996. In Jeollabuk-do, early diagnosis and treatment can be a feasible disease control measure to prevent spreading from the epidemic area.
