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South Korea logged 3,405 cases of scrub typhus in 2025, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) — still one of the country’s most common fall infections even after a year-over-year drop.
Cases start climbing in September and peak in October and November, right when hiking, farm work, and ancestral grave visits (called seongmyo in Korean) bring more people into tall grass.
If you’re planning outdoor time this fall, here’s what actually works for scrub typhus prevention.
This guide covers what scrub typhus is, its early symptoms, the KDCA’s core prevention checklist, and how to pick and use tick (chigger) repellent safely, including age limits for kids.
What Is Scrub Typhus (Tsutsugamushi Disease)?
Scrub typhus is an acute fever illness caused by the bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi, spread through the bite of an infected chigger — a mite larva that lives in tall grass and brush.
It’s most common among farmers, hikers, and people visiting family gravesites in rural areas, since chiggers cling to grass and low vegetation.
The KDCA reported 3,405 cases in 2025, down from 6,268 in 2024, partly because reporting criteria now require confirming the bite-site scab before a case counts.
You can only catch scrub typhus from an infected chigger bite — it doesn’t spread person to person. In Korea, cases climb starting in September and peak in October and November.
What Are the Early Symptoms of Scrub Typhus?
Early symptoms usually start 6 days to 3 weeks after the bite, most often 10 to 14 days, beginning with a sudden high fever, chills, and headache.
Because it looks like a bad flu at first, scrub typhus is easy to miss.
The telltale sign is an eschar, a small dark scab at the bite site, but it’s usually painless, so people often don’t notice it.
| Symptom | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| High fever & chills | Sudden fever of 38–40°C (100–104°F) lasting several days |
| Eschar | A dark scab at the bite site, often in skin folds like the armpit or groin |
| Rash | Red spots that can spread from the trunk a few days after fever starts |
| Swollen lymph nodes | Tender, swollen nodes near the bite site |
No visible eschar doesn’t rule out scrub typhus. See a doctor if you develop an unexplained fever after spending time outdoors. Under Korea’s National Health Insurance (NHI, the country’s mandatory public health coverage), a clinic visit for this is typically low-cost with just a copay.
What Are the Key Steps for Scrub Typhus Prevention?
Scrub typhus prevention comes down to covering your skin in grassy areas and showering right after you get home.
There’s no vaccine yet, so physically avoiding chigger bites is really the only reliable defense.
Here’s the KDCA’s core checklist for outdoor trips this fall.
✅ Wear long sleeves, long pants, a hat, a neck scarf, gloves, tall socks, and boots
✅ Sit on a mat instead of directly on grass
✅ Don’t leave clothing on the grass or lie down on it
✅ Don’t use the grass as a bathroom
✅ Shower and wash your clothes as soon as you get home
What you do after you get home matters just as much.
Shake out and wash your clothes right away, then check your whole body in the shower, especially skin folds like your armpits and groin, for ticks or bite marks.
How Do You Use Tick (Chigger) Repellent Correctly?
Pick a repellent approved as an over-the-counter drug product by Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and reapply it on the schedule listed on the label.
Common active ingredients include DEET, icaridin (picaridin), and PMD (para-menthane-3,8-diol), and the age limits differ by ingredient and concentration.
Products with 10% or less DEET are approved from 6 months old; 10–30% DEET is for ages 12 and up. PMD-based repellents are approved from age 4.
If you’re also wearing sunscreen, apply sunscreen first and wait 20 to 30 minutes before adding repellent. Layering them the other way around can increase how much gets absorbed into your skin.
For kids, don’t spray repellent directly on their face or hands. Put it on your own hands first, then apply it to them.
Skip repellent entirely for infants under 6 months old, and rely on protective clothing and mesh covers instead. Ask a pharmacist if you’re not sure which product fits your family.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. When are scrub typhus cases most common?
In Korea, cases start rising in September and peak in October and November before tapering off. That’s exactly when fall hiking and grave-visiting season ramps up, so prevention matters most during these months.
2. If I don’t see an eschar, am I in the clear?
Not necessarily. An eschar is a useful clue, but not everyone develops one. See a doctor for any unexplained fever after outdoor exposure, eschar or not.
3. Is there a vaccine for scrub typhus?
No, there’s currently no approved vaccine. That makes following prevention steps, covering skin and avoiding chigger bites, the most reliable protection you have.
4. Can scrub typhus spread from person to person?
No. You can only get it from an infected chigger bite. Casual contact with someone who’s sick won’t transmit it.
References
(KDCA), “Scrub Typhus,” Korea National Health Information Portal, 2026 (original title: 쯔쯔가무시증, 국가건강정보포털) Link
(KDCA), “Tick-Borne Infectious Disease Management,” 2026 (original title: 진드기매개감염병관리) Link
(Yakup News), “Whooping Cough and Scrub Typhus Cases Drop as CRE and Scarlet Fever Rise,” 2026, citing the KDCA’s 2025 Notifiable Disease Report (original title: 백일해·쯔쯔가무시증 줄고 CRE 감염증·성홍열 증가) Link
Merck Manual Professional Edition, “Scrub Typhus,” 2026 Link
Related reading: More in Disease Encyclopedia (Internal link: replace with a related post once published)
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult a qualified healthcare provider if you have health concerns.
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