According to a report in the JoongAng Daily, Korean scientists have discovered the larva of the Asian tiger mosquito, a vector of the dengue virus, on the southern island of Jeju.
According to scientists at Jeju National University suggest that the Korean peninsula is turning into a subtropical area as a result of “global warming”. Normally, Asian tiger mosquitoes are fertile in temperature above 20 degrees centigrade. When it’s 14.5 degrees or below, no eggs or larvae have been found.
No case of the dengue hemorrhagic disease has been reported in South Korea, although the country has 60 to 70 dengue patients per year who are infected while traveling in Southeast Asia.
Dengue fever is an infectious disease carried by mosquitoes and caused by any of four related dengue viruses. This disease used to be called “break-bone fever” because it sometimes causes severe joint and muscle pain that feels like bones are breaking.
Dengue fever of multiple types is found in most countries of the tropics and subtropics particularly during and after rainy season. It is not contagious from person to person.
There are three types of dengue fever in order of less severe to most: the typical uncomplicated dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHS) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS).
