Mosquito distribution is changing because of climate change. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on the 3rd that Culex quinquefasciatus, a tropical house mosquito that mainly inhabits tropical regions, was found in the country. The tropical house mosquito transmits West Nile fever, a Class 3 notifiable infectious disease.
According to the agency, among mosquitoes collected in Jeju on Aug., the tropical house mosquito was found. The tropical house mosquito is a type of Culex, and although its appearance is very similar to that of Culex pipiens, a representative mosquito inhabiting Korea, it lives in tropical and subtropical climates. It had not been identified in the country before.
The agency confirmed through genetic analysis that the collected mosquito is the tropical house mosquito. It plans to present the results in an academic journal soon. An official at the agency said, "Jeju is the southernmost region in the country and lies in the path of typhoons," adding, "We need to watch whether mosquito habitats have formed due to global warming or whether it was temporarily blown in by a typhoon."
West Nile fever, carried by the tropical house mosquito, can cause fever, encephalitis, and meningitis. Half of patients develop a skin rash. In 19 European countries last year, about 1,400 West Nile fever cases occurred and 125 people died.
The agency said that the discovery of the tropical house mosquito in the country does not mean the risk of West Nile fever has increased. According to the agency, except for one case in 2012 in which a person infected in Guinea, Africa, entered the country, West Nile fever patients have not yet been reported domestically.