PHWR Public Health Weekly Report

Vol.19 No.22, June 11, 2026 Article TypePublic Health IssuesQuickStatsSurveillance Reports

• Surveillance Reports 2026-06-11

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  Surveillance of Tick Distribution and Infection Rates of Tick-borne Infectious Diseases in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province and Daegu Metropolitan City in 2025

  Young-Ran Ha , Myung Jin Kim , Hye Keun Yun , Hye Jin Jeong , Mirim Kwon , Yuna Park , Jeong Ok Jo , Yong-Pyo Lee , Gyeong Ran Moon , Bomin Gu , Jeong-Hoon Chun

  Public Health Weekly Report 2026; 19(22): 925-946 https://doi.org/10.56786/PHWR.2026.19.22.1

  

  

  Abstract

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  Objectives: Hard ticks transmit fatal diseases such as severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) and Lyme disease, with recurring risks reported in the Gyeongsangbuk-do and Daegu regions. This study investigated tick occurrence to establish a vector-focused surveillance system aimed at preemptively preventing infectious disease transmission in these areas.
  Methods: From April to November 2025, the Gyeongbuk Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in collaboration with the Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do Institutes of Health and Environment, chose five surveillance sites within the region. This study screened for seven tick-borne pathogens, encompassing SFTS, and calculated the minimum infection rate across various environments.
  Results: A total of 6,874 ticks (3 genera and 4 species) were collected, including 3,563 adults/nymphs and 3,311 larvae. Haemaphysalis longicornis was the dominant species, accounting for 96.2% (3,428) of adults and nymphs. Among the 6,306 specimens (618 pools) tested, four of the seven pathogens (Borrelia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia spp., and Rickettsia spp.) were detected in 465 pools (5,701 individuals), leading to a 7.4% minimum infection rate.
  Conclusions: This study verifies the dominance of specific hard tick species and the presence of diverse pathogens in the Gyeongsangbuk-do and Daegu regions, underscoring the need for continuous surveillance. These results are anticipated to contribute to the establishment of an effective community-level response system for infectious diseases by faciliting continuous monitoring tailored to regional characteristics and by building long-term surveillance systems associated with environmental changes and human infection cases.

• Public Health Issues 2026-06-11

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  Implementation of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Infectious Disease ALERT: Timely Information Sharing to Strengthen Frontline Healthcare Response

  Hayun Kim , Yeo-Won Jin , Jacob Lee , Sang-Won Lee , Hyosoon Yoo

  Public Health Weekly Report 2026; 19(22): 947-959 https://doi.org/10.56786/PHWR.2026.19.22.2

  Abstract

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  Objectives: This article introduced the background and operational status of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) “Infectious Disease ALERT” and highlighted its value as an information delivery and communication channel for healthcare professionals in infectious disease response.
  Methods: The Infectious Disease ALERT issued between June 2024 and December 2025 was reviewed to assess the alert levels posited (Levels 1–3) and the status of the targeted infectious diseases.
  Results: A total of seven alerts were presented during the review period (five alerts for Level 1, and two alerts for Level 2). These alerts covered diseases including coronavirus disease 2019, mpox, Oropouche fever, Marburg virus disease, human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome, Ebola virus disease, and severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome. In addition, a mobile-based social-networking service (specifically, KakaoTalk channel) was used to enhance the accessibility of information for healthcare professionals.
  Conclusions: The Infectious Disease ALERT is intended to be used as a delivery channel for professional information provided to healthcare providers, supporting infectious disease response in situations including emerging infectious diseases and pandemics.

• QuickStats 2026-06-11

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  Trends in the Prevalence of Current Tobacco Product Use among Adolescents, 2019–2025

  Doyeon Kim

  Public Health Weekly Report 2026; 19(22): 960-961 https://doi.org/10.56786/PHWR.2026.19.22.3

  

  

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