PHWR Public Health Weekly Report

Vol.14 No.34, August 19, 2021 Article TypeEpidemiology and Surveillance

• Epidemiology and Surveillance 2021-08-19

  0 417 156

  Status of follow-up diagnosis after treatment of malaria patients in Republic of Korea, 2014-2020

  Ku Bora, Shin Hyun-Il, Lee Hee Il

  Public Health Weekly Report 2021; 14(34): 2436-2443

  

  

  Abstract

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  Five types of malaria that are known to infect humans are Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale and P. knowlesi. The Republic of Korea only reports of vivax malaria in areas adjacent to the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), such as the Incheon Metropolitan City and the northern parts of Gyeonggi and Gangwon. The incubation period of P. vivax averages 14 days (7 to 39 days), but domestic P. vivax is characterized by a long-term incubation period of six months up to a year upon infection because the presence of hepatic hypnozoites stage vivax malaria patients are concentrated in July and August.
  Of the 4,045 confirmed cases of malaria reported from 2014-2020, a total of 3,566 (88.2%) were endemic and 479 (11.8%) were imported cases. Follow-up diagnosis began in August 2014, and the participation rate was just 21.8%, but has increased annually to reach 65.5% by 2020.
  More than 80% of the patients in risk areas (i.e., areas adjacent to the DMZ) a have undergone follow-up diagnosis to prevent secondary transmission and recurrence. With these efforts, the number of patients has been decreasing annually. By 2020, 10 out of 1,546 follow-up patients have undergone recrudescence but according to the findings in this report, this was due to low adherence and insufficient medication.
  To prevent recurrence in malaria patients, it is important to prescribe sufficient medication based on the patient’s weight, to implement strict follow-up diagnosis to ensure patient ensure patient adherence, as well as to establish surveillance systems to monitor patient relapse.