The city of Busan is urging parents, schools, and childcare facilities to strengthen preventive measures as cases of infectious diseases among children and teenagers tend to rise at the beginning of the school year.

According to the city, an analysis of the past five years shows that cases of diseases such as chickenpox, scarlet fever, mumps, and whooping cough typically begin increasing in March after the new academic term starts. These illnesses spread more easily in group environments such as daycare centers, kindergartens, and schools where children spend long periods together.

Chickenpox and mumps are mainly transmitted through respiratory droplets and nasal secretions, and both tend to peak during the spring months between April and June. Whooping cough often begins with mild symptoms such as a runny nose or light cough before progressing to severe coughing fits, and is most common among school age children between 7 and 19 years old.

Scarlet fever, an acute febrile illness, usually begins with sudden fever, headache, vomiting, abdominal pain, and sore throat, followed by a characteristic rash one to two days later. More than 80 percent of cases occur in children under the age of nine.

Health officials are reminding families and schools to follow basic prevention guidelines such as frequent hand washing with soap, practicing proper cough etiquette, seeking medical attention when symptoms appear, and keeping infected children at home during the contagious period.

Fleet Chinhae