- SEOUL —
South Korea has confirmed 52 cases of measles so far this year, health
authorities said on Sunday, marking the nation's highest confirmed cases in six
years amid a global resurgence of infectious diseases once deemed to be
eradicated.
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- According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency
(KDCA), a total of 52 such cases were reported in the country this year as of
Thursday, exceeding last year's total of 49 cases and marking the highest
figure since 2019, when 194 cases were confirmed, reports Yonhap news agency.
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- South Korea was recognised as a measles-free country by the
World Health Organization in 2014, but the number of cases appears to have
increased this year amid increased overseas travel and the aging population.
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- Of the 52 cases, 34 came from abroad -- primarily from
Vietnam -- while the remaining 18 were transmitted domestically at home or
medical facilities through international travellers.
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- "The global increase in measles is likely to result in
more imported cases," a KDCA official said. "The risk of rapid
outbreaks remains low because of our stable vaccination rates and monitoring
system."
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- Officials said other diseases typically associated with less
developed countries, such as tuberculosis and scabies, are also showing an
upward trend.
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- Meanwhile, the US is experiencing a sharp resurgence of
measles, with 935 confirmed cases reported so far this year -- more than triple
the total for all of 2024, according to the latest data by the US Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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- A total of 12 measles outbreaks have been recorded
nationwide this year. The CDC defines an outbreak as three or more connected
cases, Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday.
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