J Korean Med Assoc.  2017 Jun;60(6):475-483. 10.5124/jkma.2017.60.6.475.

Present state and future of tick-borne infectious diseases in Korea

• Sul H
• Kim DM

• KMID: 2384393
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2017.60.6.475

Abstract

The incidence of vector-borne infectious diseases is increasing due to developments in diagnostic techniques, as well as due to economic, environmental, and ecological factors such as global warming, increased rainfall, globalization, and urbanization. Tick-borne infectious diseases occurring in Korea include severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome, Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and Japanese spotted fever. Various skin lesions, such as erythema migrans, tick bite sites, rash, and eschar, are associated with tick-borne infectious diseases. It is necessary to remove ticks immediately to prevent transmission of these tick-borne infectious diseases. Especially for conditions such as Lyme disease, at least 24 to 48 hours of tick attachment to the host is required for transmission of the causative pathogens to the host. Tick-borne diseases are acquired after outdoor activities and have nonspecific symptoms such as fever, headache, and chills, which make them difficult to identify without a diagnostic test. Rapid diagnosis and early treatment can reduce the otherwise significant morbidity and mortality associated with these conditions; therefore, therapy should not be delayed until laboratory confirmation is received.

Keyword

Tick-borne diseases; Scrub typhus; Lyme disease; Rickettsia infections

MeSH Terms

Anaplasmosis
Animals
Asian Continental Ancestry Group
Chills
Communicable Diseases*
Diagnosis
Diagnostic Tests, Routine
Erythema
Exanthema
Fever
Global Warming
Headache
Humans
Incidence
Internationality
Korea*
Lyme Disease
Mortality
Rickettsia Infections
Scrub Typhus
Skin
Thrombocytopenia
Tick Bites
Tick-Borne Diseases
Ticks
Urbanization