Korea outside geographical realm of tropical virus; investigation ongoing
The malaria virus was detected in the blood of a patient who died after a long hospitalization. Health authorities initiated an investigation, as South Korea is outside of the tropical and subtropical regions in which the virus is normally found. Pusan National University hospital said on January 24 that the malaria virus was detected in the blood of a 57-year-old patient who died at about 4 a.m. The patient, identified as Lee, had been hospitalized for tuberculosis. Malaria, which is spread through the bite of a mosquito, bears a 40-percent fatality rate. Lee had been receiving treatment since last year, and he has not been to a foreign country since he served in the Vietnam War, according to his family. Lee’s family had raised the possibility that he was infected by tropical malaria virus via blood transfusion, but the hospital said it confirmed the blood transfused to Lee to be clean.Jang Cheol-hun, a professor at the Pusan National University medical school, said, "Only the fact that Lee was infected by tropical malaria, which is nonexistent in the nation, was confirmed. As the health authorities are performing an epidemiological investigation, the route of infection will be uncovered sooner or later." Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]
