Korean Government Finds Deadly Ticks In Seoul, 42 People Dead So Far

A city government-affiliated environmental institute in Seoul released a recent statement to warn the citizens about deadly tick bites.

“Caution: Ticks!

Please do not take off your clothes or leave your clothes on the grass or near the woods. Please do not sit on the grass.”

— Seoul Government (Warning sign)

Ticks, a small parasite that feeds off of the blood of its host and can carry viruses that cause extreme fever and nausea, leading to possible fatality.

“People bitten by virus-carrying ticks can develop severe fevers with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), which has a fatality rate as high as 30 percent.”

— The Korea Times

A study was conducted from 2014 to 2016, which states that over 7,000 ticks were found in various locations in Seoul including riverside parks along with Han River.

SFTS does not have antiviral drugs yet, so it’s all about treatment with symptomatic treatments.

The study also shows that tick-borne disease killed 42 people this year thus far in South Korea, which is a steep increase from the previous year, 19.