We analyzed reported dengue fever (DF) cases and DF-relevant characteristics in South Korea from 2006 to 2015. A total of 1,260 DF notifications were obtained during the study period that were presumably introduced from endemic foreign countries. The nationwide cumulative incidence rate (CIR) of DF was 0.25 per 100,000 population; CIR of DF among overseas travelers was 0.93. CIRs of overseas male and female travelers were 1.13 and 0.87, respectively. CIR of overseas travelers aged 20-39 years was the highest. More men (61.9%) were infected with the dengue virus than women (38.1%, P<0.01). Individuals aged 20-39 years were most infected than those of other ages (58.4%, P<0.01). About a third of reported DF cases occurred between June and November. Most of the imported DF cases were associated with traveling in Southeast Asia (86.1%). The incidence of DF was highly correlated with the total number of overseas travelers (Pearson correlation r=0.842, P<0.01). The number of reported patients with DF has been increasing in the last decade, and DF is associated with international travel. To prevent dengue virus infections, greater attention should be paid to individuals who are planning to travel to Southeast Asia.
Keywords: Dengue fever; mosquito-borne disease; prevention; risk factors.