Epidemiologic characteristics of malaria in non-malarious area, Jeollabuk-do, Korea in 2000.
In South Korea, the north border area has been under vivax malaria epidemic since 1993. However, Jeollabuk-do, which is about 300 kms from the border, has not experienced the same epidemic. I investigated a total of 58 notified cases of malaria in Jeollabuk-do in the year 2000. All of the cases had an exposure history in the epidemic area. Among them were 49 ex-soldiers, 3 soldiers who served near the border area and 6 civilians who traveled there. The causal agent of all cases was Plasmodium vivax. Except the civilians, the soldiers and ex-soldiers were aged in their twenties. In the present study, the incubation period was from 6 to 520 days with a median of 157 days, and the latent onset type (92%) was more prevalent than the early onset type. Illness onset of most cases (86%) peaked during the summer season (June to September) despite of variable incubation periods. The time lag for diagnosis ranged from 2 to 42 days with a median of 11 days. Jeollabuk-do has not been an area of epidemic until now, but incidences have been increasing annually since 1996. In Jeollabuk-do, early diagnosis and treatment can be a feasible disease control measure to prevent spreading from the epidemic area.
Kim
M B
MB
Epidemic Intelligence Service, Division of Health and Sanitation, Jeollabuk-do Province Office, Jeonju, Korea. solekim@kornet.net
D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008288:Malaria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012621:Seasons; D013997:Time Factors