3rd Cholera Infection Confirmed

This year's third case of cholera has been confirmed in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province.

A man in his mid-60s in Geoje developed acute diarrhea after eating seafood he had bought in Geoje and later tested positive for cholera, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.

The man bought squid and sardines at a market in Geoje on Aug. 19 and ate them over the following days, according to health authorities.

He has been treated in hospital since Aug. 21 and at one stage went into acute renal failure from dehydration. His symptoms have improved but he remains in an isolation ward.

Unlike the two other cholera patients who ate raw seafood in Geoje, the latest came down with cholera even though he cooked it. All three cases seem to support the view that local seafood was the cause.

Meanwhile, this year's first case of Japanese encephalitis has also been confirmed. A man in his 50s in Gwangju was diagnosed with the disease on Tuesday and is being treated.

To prevent infections, authorities advise washing hands for more than 30 seconds, drinking boiled water, eating fully cooked food, and take extra caution to avoid mosquito bites.