Chiggers that transmit scrub typhus found in Jeonbuk

【Financial News, Jeonju = Kang In, reporter】 Chiggers that transmit scrub typhus have been found in Jeonbuk, prompting calls for caution.
The Jeonbuk Provincial Institute of Health and Environment said on the 16th that chigger larvae that cause scrub typhus, a mite-borne infectious disease, were confirmed in the province for the first time this year.
They were collected during surveillance for chigger activity conducted in week 41 this year (October 1–7).
That was about two weeks earlier than last year’s first discovery, in week 43 (October 16–22).
Scrub typhus, which is transmitted through bites from infected chigger larvae, is a Class 3 notifiable infectious disease. Cases occur most frequently in October and November, when chigger numbers and activity surge.
The disease can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia or meningitis, making prompt action important. After an incubation period of 1–3 weeks, infected people develop flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, muscle aches and rash. A ‘black scab (eschar)’ at the bite site is a characteristic diagnostic sign.
The institute urged people to follow preventive measures during outdoor activities such as farm work, hiking and viewing fall foliage. These include wearing long sleeves and pants, using insect repellent, avoiding sitting on grass or leaving clothes there, showering and washing clothes immediately after returning home, and checking for signs of tick bites.


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