Seoul expands tick surveillance to prevent infection surge during autumn

Seoul is expanding its tick surveillance efforts to prevent a potential surge in infections during the autumn season, following the country's first severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) death of the year, which occurred on Jeju Island on August 5. The Seoul Research Institute of Public Health and Environment has been conducting intensive monitoring from April through October in high-risk green spaces such as Han River parks, ecological reserves, popular hiking paths, barefoot walking zones, and dog parks.

As of August, the institute had collected around 480 ticks, with laboratory tests confirming the absence of SFTS virus in the specimens. SFTS, a viral infection transmitted by the bite of an infected hard tick, primarily the Asian bush tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis), carries a high fatality rate due to the lack of targeted antiviral treatments or preventive vaccines. Symptoms typically include fever, headache, muscle pain, and in severe cases, bleeding disorders.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.