International travelers, be careful of dengue fever..."If the treatment is late, the fatality rate is 20%".

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If you are planning to travel abroad to Southeast Asia, you should take special care not to get bitten by mosquitoes there.

Dengue fever is prevalent in major travel destinations such as the Philippines and Indonesia, and if treatment is delayed, it can lead to death, so caution is needed.

Reporter Kwon Min-seok's report.

[Reporter]
A 32-year-old woman who recently traveled to Thailand was hospitalized with a sudden high fever and rash.

The excruciating pain that completely destroys food and drink came to my husband who visited the forest together.

Both of them were infected with dengue fever.

[Paisley / Thai backpacker] I barely ate anything for five days, covered with red spots all over my body.]

Dengue fever is transmitted to Egyptian forest mosquitoes or white-tailed forest mosquitoes that possess the virus.

After the incubation period, fever, headache, and muscle pain occur, and most of them recover their health after the fever period.

However, some evolve into severe dengue, and if you miss the time of treatment, the fatality rate will soar to a whopping 20%.

In the fall season, which is good to leave for warm Southeast Asia, overseas travelers should be extra careful.

By the 4th of last month, the Philippines had accumulated nearly 270,000 patients and 702 deaths.

Indonesia and Bangladesh also saw dengue cases soar by 174% and 111%, respectively, through April.

The cumulative number of patients in Korea was 170, up 16% from the same period last year.

A 23-year-old college student who recently visited Pakistan died of dengue fever at a local hospital on the 22nd of last month.

Above all, if dengue fever is suspected because there is no commercially available vaccine or treatment in Korea, it is important to quickly enter the hospital and receive symptomatic treatment such as receiving fluids.

Health authorities say it is best not to be bitten by mosquitoes when visiting overseas, and advise you to wear bright long sleeves and long pants and spray mosquito repellent from time to time.

I'm Kwon Minseok of YTN.