The state-run disease control agency on Thursday confirmed another fatality caused by a killer tick virus amid fears that the disease may quickly spread nationwide.
The Korea Center for Disease Control & Prevention said a man who died on the southern island of Jeju Friday has been confirmed as a victim of the killer virus transmitted by one species of tick, the Haemaphysalis longicornis.
The deceased, surnamed Kang, is the second tick-caused victim reported in South Korea in the past year. Last August, a 63-year-old Seoul woman died after being infected with the killer disease.
The Jeju man, an orchard owner who also raised cattle, was suspected to have been attacked by a tick on May 16. He had shown severe symptoms of the tick virus, including a high fever, diarrhea and vomiting. He died while being treated in an intensive care.
The outbreak of the tick virus has been stoking nationwide fear, prompting government health authorities to react swiftly to prevent its spread.
China and Japan have recently reported similar cases of the virus. In Japan, five out of eight found to have carried the virus lost their lives. The tick virus is known to have a fatality rate of about 6 percent.
(Yonhap News)
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