Japanese Encephalitits in Republic of Korea (South Korea)
09 Jul 2013
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) issued a nationwide alert last week to raise awareness of the risk of Japanese encephalitis. This followed recent testing that showed 64% of mosquitoes in the southern port city of Busan (Pusan) were found to be carrying the Japanese encephalitis virus.
As the mosquitoes are most active until the end of October, the KCDC is advising the use mosquito nets indoors and limiting the amount of time spend outdoors. When outdoors, the use of long-sleeved clothing and mosquito repellent is recommended.
Advice for Travellers
Vaccination against Japanese encephalitis is available for those considered to be at risk. Travellers should also take steps to avoid mosquito bites.