The number of people in Korea contracting a potentially deadly tick-borne virus is on the rise, with shocking revelations showing it could be transmitted by household pets.
Kim Ji-yeon reports.
A woman in her sixties died due to a tick-borne virus this week... raising the number of related deaths in Korea this year to five.
It's thought the woman was bitten by a tick transmitted by her dog that was kept in the garden outside her home.
She died a week after been admitted to hospital when she started suffering a high fever and muscle pain.
Recent deaths from the virus have all come from the southwestern region of Jeollabuk-do Province... with the number of patients expected to climb as temperatures rise.
According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 56 people nationwide have already tested positive with the potentially fatal SFTS virus, short for Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome.
Over the past five years,... there have been 625 confirmed cases of SFTS in Korea.
Of that total,... 134 people died.
Based on those figures,... the fatality rate is around 20 percent.
It's particularly dangerous as there are no known vaccines or specific treatments that can be used to battle the virus.
Experts advise people to take a shower and wash their dogs thoroughly after walking in rural regions, particularly if you have to go through long grass.
Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.
