Present state and future of tick-borne infectious diseases in Korea.
10.5124/jkma.2017.60.6.475
- Author:
Hyoung SUL
1
;
Dong Min KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Internal Medicine, Chosun University School of Medicine, Gwangju, Korea. drongkim@chosun.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Tick-borne diseases;
Scrub typhus;
Lyme disease;
Rickettsia infections
- MeSH:
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
- From:Journal of the Korean Medical Association
2017;60(6):475-483
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
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.
