First Japanese Encephalitis Vector Mosquito Found in Incheon This Year... No Pathogen Detected

The Incheon Institute of Health and Environment announced on July 9 that, for the first time this year, the 'Little Red House Mosquito,' a vector for Japanese encephalitis, was collected in Baekseok-dong, Gyeyang District.

This year, the collection of Little Red House Mosquitoes in Incheon occurred two weeks later than last year. Upon examination of the collected mosquitoes, no Japanese encephalitis virus was detected, confirming that there is currently no risk of infectious disease transmission.

Previously, on March 20, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency issued a Japanese encephalitis advisory nationwide after the first Little Red House Mosquito of the year was collected in Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. On June 17, a Japanese encephalitis warning was issued after the Japanese encephalitis virus gene was detected in mosquitoes collected in the Daegu area.

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While most people infected with the Japanese encephalitis virus experience only mild symptoms, in rare cases the disease can progress to encephalitis, leading to severe symptoms such as high fever, convulsions, and impaired consciousness. Of these severe cases, 20 to 30 percent can result in death.

The number of Japanese encephalitis cases reported domestically was 11 in 2022, 17 in 2023, 21 in 2024, and 7 last year. So far this year, no cases have been reported.

An official from the Incheon Institute of Health and Environment stated, "We will actively respond to prevent the occurrence of infectious diseases by monitoring mosquito density throughout Incheon and surveilling mosquitoes entering from overseas around the airport area. Since the activity of Japanese encephalitis vector mosquitoes is now in full swing, we ask that you minimize skin exposure and use mosquito repellent when outdoors to follow preventive measures."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.