First Japanese Encephalitis Vector Mosquito of the Year Found in Suwon... No Virus Detected

Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, announced on August 19 that it has found the "Culex tritaeniorhynchus " mosquito, which transmits Japanese encephalitis, for the first time this year within its jurisdiction.

As part of the vector-borne infectious disease mosquito surveillance project, the Suwon Public Health Center collected mosquitoes from 10 locations across the city and confirmed the species in samples gathered during the first week of August (August 2 to 8).

This is about a week later than the usual average (the fifth week of July).

No Japanese encephalitis virus was detected in the collected mosquitoes, confirming that there is no risk of infectious disease transmission.

Culex tritaeniorhynchus mosquitoes are distributed nationwide and mostly appear around August and September.

A small number of these mosquitoes are identified in Suwon every year.

Following the surveillance results for Japanese encephalitis vector mosquitoes, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency issued a national Japanese encephalitis alert on June 18.

When infected with Japanese encephalitis, most people experience mild symptoms such as fever and headaches.

In rare cases progressing to encephalitis, severe symptoms such as high fever, seizures, convulsions, paralysis, and neurological complications may occur.

Anyone experiencing similar symptoms after being bitten by a mosquito should visit a nearby medical institution for examination.

An official from the Suwon Public Health Center said, "We will prevent mosquito-borne infections through continuous mosquito monitoring and control, " adding, "We ask citizens to follow preventive guidelines such as getting vaccinated, using repellents during outdoor activities, and wearing long sleeves. "

(Photo provided by Suwon City, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.