Quantitative fecal egg counts represented as the number of eggs per gram of feces (EPG) are generally a reliable parameter to estimate the worm burden of intestinal and hepatic parasitoses. Although Haplorchis taichui (Digenea: Heterophyidae) is one of the most common minute human intestinal flukes, little is known about the relationship between EPG and the actual worm burden in patients or the severity of the disease. In the present study, fecal samples were collected from 25 villagers in northern Thailand before and after praziquantel treatment. The EPG values of each participant were determined by the modified cellophane thick smear method, and adult worms were collected from the whole stool after the treatment. Eggs per day per worm (EPDPW) of H. taichui were estimated 82 from egg counts and expelled worms. The EPG was not well correlated with the worm burden, and a reverse correlation was observed between the EPDPW and the worm burden.
Animals ; Feces/parasitology ; Heterophyidae/isolation & purification/*physiology ; Humans ; Parasite Egg Count ; Trematode Infections/*parasitology

Studies on Gymnophalloides seoi (Digenea: Gymnophallidae) and human infections are briefly reviewed. This minute intestinal fluke was first discovered from a Korean woman suffering from acute pancreatitis and gastrointestinal troubles. It was described as a new species by Lee, Chai and Hong in 1993. The southwestern coastal village where the patient resided was found to be a highly endemic area, and additional endemic areas have been identified. The parasite is very small, 0.33-0.50 mm long and 0.23-0.33 mm wide, and characterized by the presence of a ventral pit. The first intermediate host remains unknown, but the second intermediate host has been found to be the oyster Crassostrea gigas. Man and the Palearctic oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus have been shown to be natural definitive hosts, and wading birds including the Kentish plover Charadrius alexandrinus are highly susceptible to experimental infection. Gerbils, hamsters, cats, and several strains of mice were also susceptible laboratory hosts. In experimentally infected mice, the parasites inhabit the small intestine, pinching and sucking the root of villi with their large oral suckers, but they did not invade beyond the mucosa in immunocompetent mice. However, they were found to invade the submucosa in immunosuppressed mice. Human G. seoi infections have been found in at least 25 localities; 23 islands on the Yellow Sea or the South Sea, and 2 western coastal villages. The highest prevalence was found in a village on Aphaedo, Shinan-gun (49% egg positive rate); other areas showed 0.8-25.3% prevalence. Infected people complained of variable degrees of gastrointestinal troubles and indigestion. The infection can be diagnosed by recovery of eggs in the feces; however, an expert is needed to identify the eggs. Praziquantel, 10 mg/kg in single dose, is effective for treatment of human infections. Eating raw oysters in endemic areas should be avoided.
Animals ; Feces/parasitology ; Host-Parasite Relations ; Human ; Immunocompromised Host ; Intestine, Small/parasitology ; Korea/epidemiology ; Life Cycle Stages ; Parasite Egg Count ; Prevalence ; *Trematoda/classification/ultrastructure ; *Trematode Infections/epidemiology/parasitology

The status of pinworm (Enterobius vermicularis) egg positive rate of primary school children in Geoje island was investigated by using adhesive cellotape anal swap method, in September, 2002. Total egg positive rates of E. vermicularis were 9.8% (74/754) and those of male and female were 10.8% and 8.7%, respectively. Among three schools examined, Myeongsa primary school showed the highest egg positive rate (12.6%) followed by Yeoncho [9.8% (26/266)] and Geoje [9.1% (35/385)]. As for the age groups, the 2nd grade had the highest egg positive rate (15.3%), whereas the 5th grade showed the lowest egg positive rate (2.6%). The above result led us to confirm that the egg positive rates of E. vermicularis in primary school children in Geoje island were not significantly different from the those in the whole country including urban and rural areas, showing more than 10%.
Animals ; Child ; Enterobiasis/*epidemiology ; Enterobius/*isolation & purification ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; Geography ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; *Parasite Egg Count ; Students

In an attempt to determine the prevalence of pinworm infection, the egg positive rate of Enterobius vermicularis was examined using the adhesive cello-tape anal swab method in 1,512 preschool children sampled from a total of 20 kindergartens in Cheongju city, in November to December of 2004 (951 children from 13 kindergartens) and September to October of 2005 (561 from 7 kindergartens). The overall egg positive rate was found to be 7.9% (119/1,512); 9.3% (73/784) for boys and 6.3% (46/728) for girls, respectively. The 5-year age group evidenced the highest egg positive rate (10.9%, 47/430) among the examined age groups. As compared to those reported from previous works (ranged from 9.2 to 26.1%), the prevalence of E. vermicularis in the Cheongju city area is relatively low.
Parasite Egg Count ; Male ; Korea/epidemiology ; Humans ; Female ; Enterobius/*growth & development ; Enterobiasis/*epidemiology/parasitology ; Child, Preschool ; Child ; Animals

To examine the fate of Strongyloides venezuelensis. Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguicalatus) were orally infected with 1,000 L3 larvae per animal. Altogether, 50 gerbils divided into 5 groups of 10 each were monitored for a period of 570 days to document the kinetics of faecal egg output, adults worm population, morphological development, fecundity, and hematological changes including peripheral blood eosinophilia. This study chronicled a life long parasitism of S. venezuelensis in the gerbil host, and showed that S. venezuelensis infection was quite stable throughout the course of infection and the worms maintained their normal development as evidenced by their body dimension. A progressive loss of body condition of the infected gerbils was observed as the level of infection advanced. However, no detectable pathological changes were observed in the gastrointestinal tract. The present findings indicate that an immunocompetent host, such as the Mongolian gerbil, can serve as a life long carrier model of S. venezuelensis if the worms are not expelled within 570 days after infection.
Animals ; Blood Cell Count ; Disease Models, Animal ; Feces/parasitology ; Gerbillinae/*parasitology ; Parasite Egg Count ; Strongyloides/*growth & development/pathogenicity ; Strongyloidiasis/blood/*parasitology

OBJECTIVETo understand the infectious status of infection sources in some epidemic regions of Schistosomiasis japonica, and provide a scientific basis for further controlling infection sources in a comprehensive way.

METHODSLongshang village which lies in the area of hills and mountains and Yuye village which lies in the area of lakes and marshlands were chosen for field investigation. The study was targeted at snails and 1512 residents, while 197 samples of livestock were randomized (80 cattle, 46 pigs, 45 dogs, 18 cats, 8 sheep) and 32 wild animals (field rats) were screened in Anhui province between October to November in 2007. The infection rate and intensity of infection were calculated after pathogenic examination on the populations, livestock and wild animals (field rats).

RESULTS(1) The infection rate of snails in Longshang and Yuye village were 2.26%, 1.06% in 2007, and 0.55%, 0.72% in 2006 respectively. (2) Of the infection rate and geometric mean of egg per gram (EPG) of population, 3.8% and 0.14 (EPG) were in Longshang village and 3.4% and 0.13 (EPG) were in Yuye village. The positive rate of blood examination of the different sex in Longshang village was 17.5% (44/252) of the males, higher than that of the females 11.0% (25/227) (chi(2) = 4.026, P = 0.045), whereas, in Yuye village was 21.4% (66/309) of males and 19.4% (25/129) for the females, without significant differences (chi(2) = 0.217, P > 0.05). The positive rate of fecal examination of the different sex in Longshang village was 5.2% (14/268) of the men and 2.1% (5/236) of the women showing no statistical significance (chi(2) = 3.336, P > 0.05); whereas, in Yuye village was 5.7% (14/245) of the men and 1.2% (3/250) of the women (chi(2) = 7.603, P = 0.006). (3) The infection rate and the arithmetic mean of EPG of the cattle, 10.8% (8/74) and 135.00 (EPG) were in Longshang village, meanwhile, the infection rate of the bull was 9.1% (6/66) and 25.0% (2/8) for cow without statistical significance (chi(2) = 0.586, P = 0.444), whereas, the total number of cattle was 6 that had been examined and there was no positive case in Yuye village. Of 8 sheep examined in Yuye village, 6 was positive, with arithmetic mean of 254.82 (EPG), while there was no sheep in Longshang village. (4) Of the positive rate of the incubation for dog's feces and intensity of infection, 55.6% (24/36) and 20.00 (EPG) were in Yuye village whereas 23.81% (5/21) and 1.21 (EPG) were in Longshang village. (5) Of the infection rate of the field rats, 13.64% (3/22) in Longshang village whereas a total number of mouse was 10 that had been examined and there was no positive case in Yuye village.

CONCLUSIONThe farm cattle should be still the chief sources of infection in the regions of lakes and marshlands for schistosomiasis. Whereas, with the implementing in-depth of the strategy on controlling source of infection in a integrated way, high priorities should be given to the epidemiological factors of the animals such as sheep, dogs, field mouse and so on which are spreading schistosomiasis.

Animals ; Animals, Wild ; parasitology ; Cats ; Cattle ; China ; epidemiology ; Dogs ; Feces ; parasitology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Parasite Egg Count ; Rats ; Schistosomiasis japonica ; epidemiology ; parasitology ; Sheep ; Swine

OBJECTIVETo observe triclabendazole effect on Paragonimus skrjabini in experimentally infected rats,and to develop a new drug for treating paragonimiasis.

METHODSMetacercariae of Paragonimus skrjabini were isolated from crabs (Sinopotamon) collected from endemic area. Wistar rats were infected intraperitoneally. One and two months after infection, they were treated with triclabendazole at the dosage of 300 mg.kg(-1).2 d(-1), 450 mg.kg(-1).3 d(-1) and 600 mg.kg(-1).3 d(-1) respectively. Five patients with Paragonimus skrjabini were treated, with Triclabendazole dosage of 10 mg/kg bid x 3 days.

RESULTSThe worm reduction rates were 50.3%, 80.8% and 86.7% respectively one month after completion of treatment. Dead worms of sesame size recovered from muscles, liver, abdominal cavity, chest cavity and lung were greatly diminished in size and weight in comparison with that of the control group. Many large (about 1 cm) black-colored distended worm cysts were found in the lungs of the control rats. Usually there were two adult worms pairs with numerous eggs in each worm cyst. Most worm cysts in the treated groups of rats were changed into hemorrhagic-necrotic patches. All five patients were cured.

CONCLUSIONTriclabendazole was highly active against Paragonimus skrjabini in rats experimentally infected and patients.

Adult ; Animals ; Anthelmintics ; therapeutic use ; Benzimidazoles ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Paragonimiasis ; drug therapy ; Parasite Egg Count ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

The prevalence of helminthic infections was surveyed on a total of 6,178 residents (males 2,549 and females 3,629) in 102 villages of 9 provinces in Lao PDR between 2007 and 2011 under the project of Korea-Laos Collaborative Project for Control of Foodborne Trematode Infections in Lao PDR. Fecal specimens were collected and examined by the Kato-Katz thick smear and Stoll's egg counting techniques. The overall liver/intestinal helminth egg positive rate was 71.9% with a single or mixed infections with Opisthorchis viverrini and minute intestinal flukes (Ov/MIF), Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworms, Trichuris trichiura, Trichostrongylus sp., echinostomes, Taenia spp., and others. Ov/MIF revealed the highest prevalence (55.6%) followed by hookworms (27.8%) and T. trichiura (6.5%). The endemic regions with the highest prevalence of Ov/MIF were Savannakhet, Khammouane, Vientiane (Nam Ngum), Champasak (Khong Island), and Saravane Province. High prevalences of A. lumbricoides (33.8%), hookworms (47.8%), and T. trichiura (32.6%) were observed in Phongsaly, Luang Prabang, and Vientiane (Nam Ngum) areas, respectively. The results of this study highlight helminth parasites of current public health significance in different areas of Lao PDR.
Animals ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; Helminthiasis/*epidemiology/*parasitology ; Helminths/classification/*isolation & purification ; Humans ; Intestinal Diseases/*epidemiology/*parasitology ; Laos/epidemiology ; Male ; Parasite Egg Count ; Prevalence

To investigate the infection status of pigs with Cryptosporidium parvum, 589 fecal samples were collected from pigs raised at farm in Chungcheongbuk-do and Chungcheongnam-do. Of the 589 pig fecal samples, 62 (10.5%) were positive for C. parvum. The area showing the highest positive rate was Dangjin-gun, Chungcheongnam-do (14.0%), and the lowest (0%) Salmi-myon, Chungcheongbuk-do. The positive rate of C. parvum in Judok-eup increased from 12.7% in the winter to 22.1% in the summer. The results of this study suggest that the pigs may be a source of human C. parvum infection.
Animal Husbandry ; Animals ; Cryptosporidiosis/epidemiology/parasitology/*veterinary ; Cryptosporidium parvum/*isolation & purification ; Feces/parasitology ; Korea/epidemiology ; Parasite Egg Count ; Swine ; Swine Diseases/*epidemiology/*parasitology

A 36-year old Korean woman consulted a clinic for a regular gynecological examination, and a mass was noticed in her pelvis. She was referred to the Asan Medical Center, Seoul where transvaginal ultrasonography confirmed a pelvic mass exceeding 10 cm in diameter. She received total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingoophorectomy, and a borderline serous neoplasm with micropapillary features involving the left ovary and right ovarian serosa was histopathologically confirmed. In addition, a section of a nematode with numerous eggs was found in the parenchyma of the left ovary. The worm had degenerated but the eggs were well-preserved and were identified as those of Enterobius vermicularis. She is an incidentally recognized case of ovarian enterobiasis.
Adult ; Animals ; Enterobiasis/diagnosis/*parasitology/pathology ; Enterobius/isolation & purification ; Female ; Human ; Korea ; Ovarian Diseases/diagnosis/*parasitology/pathology ; Ovary/parasitology ; Parasite Egg Count