Malaria surveillance and alerts in South Korea

Following a regional alert in Incheon’s Ganghwa-gun, South Korean authorities have intensified malaria surveillance and prevention efforts. Local measures include eco-friendly spraying, larvicide treatments, and the deployment of mosquito-repelling devices in high-risk areas such as parks and riverbanks. This follows a national trend where the majority of infections occur in civilians participating in outdoor activities like camping and fishing.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has since escalated the situation to a nationwide malaria alert. This follows the detection of Plasmodium vivax genetic material in Anopheles mosquitoes collected in the northern regions of Paju and Yeoncheon County. While domestic malaria cases have seen a decrease compared to the previous year, health officials warned that risk areas are expanding beyond the traditional concentrations near the Demilitarized Zone. Authorities noted that while extreme summer heat initially kept mosquito density lower, populations may rebound as temperatures fall.