The worst heat wave in the history of Daegu continues.
As a result, the number of group 1 infectious diseases including typhoid fever and dysentery are spreading in the region. There have been more than 5,500 reported cases of chicken pox, which is classified as a group 2 infectious disease. The heat can disrupt the balance of your body, weaken the immune system, and be potentially fatal for those who catch an infection.
Up until July of this year, according to the Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 65 cases of group 1 infectious diseases (cholera, typhoid, paratyphoid, dysentery, and E. coli) occurred in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk area. This is a 320 % increase compared to the same time last year. Inflammatory bowel diseases including diarrhea have also increased with 15 reported cases in Daegu and 19 in Gyeongbuk.
Cases of typhoid fever, which only numbered 7 last year, has doubled to 14. In Daegu, there were 5 reported cases (down from 6 last year), while in Gyeongbuk, the number has risen to 9. Meanwhile, E. coli cases have soared from 4 to 15. To prevent these diseases, the KCDC recommends washing your hands and nails after using the bathroom, boiling your water, and properly cooking meat.
Chicken pox infections, designated as group 2 infectious diseases, have increased significantly. There were 2,964 cases in Daegu and 2,592 in Gyeongbuk, resulting in more than 5,500 reported cases in this region. Last month alone, there were an additional 887 reported cases and 41 so far in August. Chickenpox isn’t the only infectious disease being spread in Daegu this year. From January to July of last year, there were 348 cases of the mumps in Daegu and 542 in Gyeongbuk. This year it increased to 517 in Daegu and 666 in Gyeongbuk during the same period.
An official at the CDC said “This summer, the environment has been well-suited for the growth of pathogens such as salmonella, which has led to an increase in food contamination, and the spread of infectious diseases. The number of food contamination cases have been on the rise.”