Korean J Infect Dis.
2001 Aug;33(4):280-284.
Status of Vivax Malaria in the Republic of Korea in 2000
- Affiliations
-
- 1Department of Microbiology, Gachon Medical School, Inchon.
- 2Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Yonsei University.
- 3Division of Epidemiology, Department of Infectious Disease, National Institute of Health.
- 4Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University.
- 5Institute of Endemic Diseases, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, Korea.
Abstract
- BACKGROUND: Since 1997, the annual case occurrence of vivax malaria in the Republic of Korea have exceeded 1,000 cases since 1997. The military is thought to be an important source of the current outbreak. We collected various informations about malaria cases (soldiers, veterans and civilians) which occurred in 2000, and analyzed the characteristics of the current outbreak. METHODS: Informations about malaria cases of soldiers, veterans and civilians, including name, age, sex, day of onset, region, etc., were collected through the National Institute of Health. RESULTS: Out of total 4,141 cases, 1,288 (31.1%) occurred in the military, 1,273 (30.7%) occurred among the veterans, and 1,580 (38.2%) occurred among civilians. The monthly case occurrence reached its peak in early August. Areas such as Cheolwon, Yeoncheon and Paju showed the highest prevalence. CONCLUSION: It is considered that the current malaria outbreak has escaped from the exponential growth phase, however, more attention should be paid to prevent further spreading of malaria infection.
