2024-01-11 07:49:12
– Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency expands rapid kit testing… Conducted year-round at 18 locations nationwide
– Vietnam is the largest inflow country, followed by Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
Dengue fever is transmitted by being bitten by an vector mosquito infected with the dengue virus, and symptoms such as fever, headache, chills, and muscle pain appear following an incubation period of 5 to 7 days. There is no vaccine or treatment yet, so prevention, such as preventing mosquito bites, is important. As the influx of dengue fever into the country increases due to the activation of overseas travel, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency expanded free rapid kit testing to be conducted year-round at all 18 quarantine centers nationwide for preemptive surveillance. (Photo = Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency)
[인사이드비나=김동현 기자] ‘If you have symptoms of dengue fever when returning home following traveling overseas, such as Vietnam, get a free test at the quarantine center.’
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (Director Ji Young-mi) announced that dengue fever rapid kit testing will be expanded to be conducted year-round at 13 airports and ports and 18 national quarantine stations nationwide starting on the 12th to ensure safe overseas travel for citizens.
Dengue fever testing was conducted on a pilot basis at two quarantine centers in 2022, and was conducted in July and August at 10 quarantine centers last year. This time, it has been expanded to all 18 quarantine centers nationwide and throughout the year. This is a measure in response to the need for preemptive monitoring of inflow from overseas as dengue fever was additionally designated as a quarantine infectious disease on the 1st of last month.
Dengue fever is an infectious disease that is transmitted through the bite of vector mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti and Aedes mosquitoes) infected with the dengue virus and causes symptoms such as fever, headache, chills, and muscle pain following an incubation period of 5 to 7 days. There is still no effective vaccine or treatment. Prevention, such as preventing mosquito bites, is very important.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), last year, the number of dengue fever cases rapidly increased to pre-COVID-19 levels, resulting in more than 5 million cases and more than 5,000 deaths in 86 countries.
In Korea, the inflow of dengue fever patients is also on the rise from 2022 due to the revitalization of overseas travel following the recovery of daily life, and a total of 206 patients were tentatively confirmed last year, double the number of 2,103 the previous year. Vietnam was the largest inflow country, followed by Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
In particular, as in the case of a Korean citizen who visited Bangladesh for business purposes in September of last year and died locally due to dengue fever, the fatality rate of dengue fever increases rapidly when reinfected, so special caution is required when frequently visiting areas where it is prevalent. Related information, including dengue fever prevention, can be found in ‘Overseas Infectious Diseases NOW’.
If you have any suspicious symptoms due to a mosquito bite while visiting a high-risk country where dengue fever patients are mainly imported, it is necessary to notify the quarantine officer and receive a dengue fever rapid kit test. The rapid kit test is a simple test, and if it is confirmed positive, you must visit a medical institution and receive a confirmatory diagnostic test.
Ji Young-mi, director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, said, “For people planning to travel overseas, please be aware of the dengue fever prevention rules throughout the entire travel process to ensure a safe trip, and actively utilize the quarantine station’s dengue fever rapid kit test.”
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