Overseas travelers asked to be on guard for contagious diseases

SEOUL, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korean health authorities on Sunday asked
citizens to take precautions to protect themselves from contagious diseases while
traveling abroad.
Officials at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) advised
citizens to pay extra attention to sanitation and to report immediately to health
authorities any abnormal symptoms after overseas trips, even if they appear to be
those of a common cold.
So far this year, the KCDC has confirmed 395 overseas travelers suffering from
diarrhea. That figure is higher than numbers for the same period last year.
Last year, there were 629 patients diagnosed as diarrhea after traveling
overseas, almost a four-fold increase from 161 in 2005.
The health officials also identified 75 cases of new contagious diseases from
overseas, including 33 cases of dengue and 24 cases of dysentery.
The KCDC also said it has started releasing on-line statistics about contagious
diseases. The data is updated in real time.
ygkim@yna.co.kr
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