A 40-year old male, Filipino, farmer, from Bakun, Benguet, presented with a 9 months history of itchiness of right ear. He reported that he was able to collect 4-5 insects every time he cleans his ear. Consult was done with an Ears, Nose and Throat specialist and video-otoscopic examination revealed multi pie animate foreign body (mites) at different stages of development. The patient underwent 5 sessions of ear flushing with warm water at intervals of 2 weeks for 3 months. Collected insects were referred to an entomologist and were identified as Suadasia pontifica Oudemans, belonging to family: Acaridae. Follow up consult after 5 sessions of ear flushing revealed complete removal of mite infestation of his right ear. Patient was instructed to do ear flushing twice daily using warm water mixed with 70% isopropyl alcohol to eradicate any eggs left behind. No other medications were given. Based on Philippine Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Health Research and Development Information Network, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, this is the first reported case of human otoacariasis in the Philippines.
Mites ; Acari

About 6,950 feather mites were isolated from filed collections and examination of bird study skins at the zoological specimen room of Kon-Kuk University in Seoul. Among them, 3 species of Kramerellidae, Dermonoton longiventer (Megnin & Trouessart, 1884), Kramerella bubonis (Lonnfors, 1937), Neopetitota bubonis Atyeo & Philips, 1984, and 1 species of Pterolichidae, Epopolichus atelus Gaud, 1981, were newly recorded from Korea. They were redescribed with their new hosts.
parasitoloyg-arthropoda ; Acari ; Pterolichoidea ; Kramerellidae ; Dermonoton longiventer ; Kramerella bubonis ; Neopetitota bubnis ; Pterolichidae ; Epopolichus atelus

In the present work, the potential of acaricidal activity of chamomile flowers' extract was studied against engorged Rhipicephalus annulatus tick under laboratory condition. For this purpose, the engorged females of Rhipicephalus annulatus were exposed to two-fold serial dilutions of chamomile flowers' extract (0.5%, 1.0%, 2.0%, 4.0% and 8.0%) using "dipping method" in vitro. The engorged ticks were immersed in different plant dilutions (five ticks for each dilution) for 1 min and they were immediately incubated in separate Petri dishes for each replicate at 26 degrees C and 80% relative humidity. Mortality rate for each treatment was recorded 5 d after incubation. The mortality rate caused by different dilutions of chamomile flower' extract ranged from 6.67% to 26.7%, whereas no mortality was recorded for non-treated control group. The mass of produced eggs varied form 0.23 g (in 8.0% solutions) to 0.58 g (in control), with no statistical differences between the treatments and control (P>0.05). Also the chamomile flowers' extract in highest concentration used (8.0%) caused 46.67% failure in egg laying in engorged females while non failure was observed for non-treated control group. Macroscopic observations indicated that in effective concentrations of plant (4.0% and 8.0%), patchy hemorrhagic swelling appeared on the skin of treated ticks. The results presented for the first time in this study imply that chamomile may be considered as a promising plant for biocontrol of cattle fever tick disease in the field condition.
Acari ; drug effects ; physiology ; Animals ; Female ; Insecticides ; administration & dosage ; Matricaria ; chemistry ; Oviparity ; drug effects ; Plant Extracts ; administration & dosage ; Survival Analysis ; Survival Rate

The present status of control treasures for public health important helminthic infections in Korea was surveyed in 1969 and the following results were obtained The activities of parasitic examination and Acaris treatment for the positives which were done during 1966 to 1969 were brought in poor result and could not decrease the infection rate. It is needed to improve or strengthen the activities. The mass treatment activities for paragonimiasis and clonorchiasis in the areas which were designated by the Ministry of Health were carried out during 1965 to 1968 with no good results in decrease of estimated number of the patients. There were too many pharmaceutical companies where many kinds of anthelmintics were produced. It may be better to reduce the number of anthelmintics produced and control the quality. The human feces, the most important source of helminthic infection, was generally not treated in sanitary ways because of the poor sewerage system and no sewage treatment plant in urban areas and insanitary latrines in rural areas. The field soils of 170 specimens were collected from 34 areas out of 55 urban and tourist areas where night soil has been prohibited by a regulation to be used as a fertilizer, and examined for parasites contamination with the result of Ascaris egg detection in 44%. Some kinds of vegetables of 64 specimens each from the supply agents of parasite free vegetables and general markets were collected and examined for parasites contamination with the results of Ascaris egg detection in 25% and 36% respectively. The parasite control activities and the ability of parasitological examination techniques in the health centers of the country were not satisfactory. The budget of the Ministry of Health for the parasite control was very poor. The actual expenditure needed for cellophane thick smear technique was 8 Won per a specimen. As a principle the control of helminthic infections might be led toward breaking the chain of events in the life cycle of the prasites and eliminating environmental and host factors concerned with the infections, and the following methods may be pointed out. 1) Mass treatment might be done to eliminate human reservoirs of an infection. 2) Animal reservoirs which are related with human infections might be eliminated. 3) The excretes of reservoirs, particularly human feces, should be treated in sanitary ways by the means of sanitary sewerage system and sewage treatment plant in urban areas and sanitary latrines such as waterborne latrine, aqua privy and pit latrine in rural areas. The increase of national economical development and prohibition of the habit of using night soil as a Fertilizer might be very important factors to achieve the purpose. 4) The control of vehicles and intermediate hosts might be done by the means of prohibition of soil contamination with parasites, food sanitation, insect control and snail control. 5) The improvement of insanitary attitudes and bad habit which are related with parasitic infections might be done by the means of prohibition of habit of using night soils as a fertilizer, and improving eating habits and personal hygiene. 6) Chemoprohylactic measure and vaccination may be effective to prevent the infections or the development of a parasite to adult in the bodies were invaded by parasites. Further studies and development of this kind of measures are needed.
Acari ; Adult ; Animals ; Anthelmintics ; Ascaris ; Budgets ; Cellophane ; Clonorchiasis ; Communicable Disease Control ; Eating ; Feces ; Health Expenditures ; Helminths ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Insect Control ; Korea* ; Life Cycle Stages ; Ovum ; Paragonimiasis ; Parasites ; Plants ; Public Health ; Sanitation ; Sewage ; Snails ; Soil ; Toilet Facilities ; Vaccination ; Vegetables

The purpose of this study was to investigate clinical and immunological responses to Demodex on the ocular surface. Thirteen eyes in 10 patients with Demodex blepharitis and chronic ocular surface disorders were included in this study and treated by lid scrubbing with tea tree oil for the eradication of Demodex. We evaluated ocular surface manifestations and Demodex counts, and analyzed IL-1beta, IL-5, IL-7, IL-12, IL-13, IL-17, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and macrophage inflammatory protein-1beta in tear samples before and after the treatment. All patients exhibited ocular surface manifestations including corneal nodular opacity, peripheral corneal vascularization, refractory corneal erosion and infiltration, or chronic conjunctival inflammatory signs before treatment. After treatment, Demodex was nearly eradicated, tear concentrations of IL-1beta and IL-17 were significantly reduced and substantial clinical improvement was observed in all patients. In conclusion, we believe that Demodex plays an aggravating role in inflammatory ocular surface disorders.
Acari/drug effects/physiology ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Blepharitis/drug therapy/*immunology/parasitology ; Chemokine CCL4/analysis ; Female ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor/analysis ; Humans ; Interleukin-12/analysis ; Interleukin-13/analysis ; Interleukin-17/analysis ; Interleukin-1beta/analysis ; Interleukin-5/analysis ; Interleukin-7/analysis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tea Tree Oil/therapeutic use ; Tears/metabolism