Epidemiological Characteristics of Scrub Typhus in Korea, 2009

Abstract

ObjectivesCurrently, the incidence of scrub typhus has increased in urban areas. In this study, we described the epidemiological characteristics of scrub typhus cases reported in the urban areas of Korea in 2009.MethodsWe analysed the case investigation reports of scrub typhus cases that were collected in Korea in 2009. Specially, the different risk factors such as fieldwork and outdoor activity were compared to urban and rural areas, and six urban cities. Statistical analysis was performed using χ2 test.ResultsA total of 4,461 cases (including 1,663 suspected cases) were analysed in this study. Among these, the case reports of 4,254 cases had complete addresses. The cases with outdoor activities were 720 (85.2%) in urban areas. In Daegu and Daejeon, the number of cases participated in outdoor activities was 32 (34.4%) and 23 (31.5%), respectively. In other urban areas, cases with outdoor activities were more than 85%.ConclusionThe most common infection risk factor was outdoor activity in urban areas. However, the proportion and distribution of outdoor activities were different in urban areas. These results will be used to establish strategies for effective prevention and management in urban areas.

Clinical Profile, Outcome, and Atypical Presentations of Scrub Typhus: Experience from a Tertiary Care Center in South India

“…Though originally described in rural areas, there has been an increasing incidence of scrub typhus in urban areas where rodents such as mice are involved in the transmission. [2][3][4] Variations in cutaneous immunity and previous exposure to the pathogen have been considered the likely reasons for the significant differences in the frequency of eschar. 2 Gastrointestinal symptoms, lymphadenopathy, and hepatomegaly were common in our series, similar to other studies on scrub typhus from Southeast Asia.…”

“…[2][3][4] Variations in cutaneous immunity and previous exposure to the pathogen have been considered the likely reasons for the significant differences in the frequency of eschar. 2 Gastrointestinal symptoms, lymphadenopathy, and hepatomegaly were common in our series, similar to other studies on scrub typhus from Southeast Asia. 5,6 However, the incidence of transaminitis was much lower in our study than in others.…”

The Geographical and Economical Impact of Scrub Typus, the Fastest-growing Vector-borne Disease in Korea

“…Human activities include war, farming, camping, urbanization and so on. A study on the epidemiological characteristic of this disease in Korea supports this general notion [4]. …”

The impact of Livestock Manure Control Policy on human leptospirosis in Republic of Korea using interrupted time series analysis

“…Occupational exposure is also a significant risk factor in many countries and is particularly associated with agriculture and animal production (68% of total reported cases in South Korea, and 56·8% in Malaysia) [7][8][9][10][11]. In the Republic of Korea, rodents have been shown to be one of the major carriers of leptospirosis around swine farms; a survey in rodents conducted in 2008 found that 63·7% of rodents were infected [12,13].…”