A man in Gwangju has been confirmed to be infected with Japanese encephalitis, marking the first reported case of the mosquito-borne virus in the country this year.
 
Gwangju City said Wednesday that the man in his 50s tested positive for Japanese encephalitis after he was hospitalized on August 16th due to high fever and seizures, which are common symptoms of the disease.
 
Gwangju’s quarantine authorities said the man is likely to have been bitten by a mosquito carrying the disease while working, citing that an epidemiological investigation found that he had not gone abroad this year.
 
The latest case is not alarming as the nation had seen 40 cases of Japanese encephalitis last year. However, quarantine officials were quick to stress the need for extra caution as mosquitoes are active until late October.