South Korean health authorities have issued a nationwide malaria alert after detecting the Plasmodium vivax parasite in Anopheles mosquitoes in Paju and Yeoncheon County.
This increases the risk of transmission through bites from infected mosquitoes. There were 201 local cases reported between January 1 and August 1, a 43.4% decrease compared to the previous year. Historically concentrated near the Demilitarized Zone, the risk has now expanded. The alert coincides with a hot summer, but authorities are warned of a potential increase in mosquito populations as temperatures drop.
