| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2018 | Volume
: 10
| Issue : 3 | Page : 121-124 |
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Comparative study on the epidemiological trends and aspects of murine typhus in Korea in the last decade (2006–2015)
Byung-Joon Chang1, Seong-Joon Kim1, Won-Chang Lee1, Myeong-Jin Lee2, Nong-Hoon Choe1
1 Department of Veterinary Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, 143-701 Seoul, Republic of Korea
2 Department of Health and Nutrition, Otemae University, Osaka 540-0008, Japan
Correspondence Address:
Prof. Nong-Hoon Choe
Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, 143-701 Seoul
Republic of Korea
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/jgid.jgid_140_17
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Introduction: In this study, we undertook a retrospective analysis of the epidemiological aspects and risk factors of murine typhus (MT) in Korea in the last decade (2006–2015). Materials and Methods: MT infections in Korea using a total of 411 cases obtained from the Diseases Web Statistical System of the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Results: In a total of 411 MT infection cases, the cumulative incidence rate was 0.08/100,000 populations. Men were slightly more infected by MT as compared to women (51.3% vs. 48.7%), and a higher incidence of MT was observed in people aged over 40 years (93.4%; P < 0.01). The seasonal pattern of outbreaks revealed that most infections occurred from October to November (69.1% of the total cases) (P < 0.01). Significantly more outbreaks occurred in the southern part (53.5%) of the Korean peninsula as compared to its northern (33.3%) and central (10.7%) parts, as well as the Jeju Island (1.0%) (P < 0.01). In addition, the number of MT infections was significantly higher in rural and sea-village (87.6%) than in urban areas (12.4%; P < 0.01). Conclusion: In conclusion, the rapid reemergence of MT outbreaks can be minimized through health education, and a strong enforcement of control measures against rats and their ectoparasites could markedly reduce the transmission of this infection to humans in high-risk areas.
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