A status survey on Metagonimus yokogawai infection along the Tamjin River basin, South Cholla Do, Korea was conducted from September to November 1977. The snail intermediate host, Semisulcospira sp., the fish host, Plecoglossus altivelis and the inhabitants in three villages in Jangheung and Kangjin Guns were examined for detection of this trematode infection respectively. The results could be summarized as follows: Out of 452 snails, Semisulcospira sp., 105 (23.2%) were found positive for rediae and/or cercariae of M. yokogawai in Jangheung Gun. All of 20 sweetfishes, P. altivelis were infected with metacercariae of M. yokogawai and the mean number per fish was 15,688 and per gram of fish muscle, 234. Out of 606 inhabitants in three villages, 160(26.4%) persons were found infected with M. yokogawai and the mean E.P.G counts per infected cases were 2,078. Sixty cases (9.8%) were positive for ova of Clonorchis sinensis with mean E.P.G., 846, frequently mixed-infected with M. yokogawai. From the above results, it was turned out that the Tamjin River basin is one of the endimic foci of metagonimiasis in Korea. The relatively low infection rate of human host in spite of much higher infection of intermediate hosts were considered to be due to the less population of sweetfishes in the Tamjin River than in the Sumjin River basin.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Metagonimus yokogawai ; epidemiolgy

The in situ posture of anterior body of Metagonimus yokogawai was observed in experimental metagonimiasis of dog. The metacercariae were collected from naturally infected sweetfish by peptic digestion; a total of 8 dogs was orally infected with 10,000 metacercariae respectively. Two dogs were killed on 3 days, 9 days, 4 weeks and 10 weeks after the infection. The postures of worms in histological section of small intestine and of whole worms collected from the fixed intestinal mucosa were examined by light and scanning electron microscope. The results were summarized as follows: The recovery rates of worms were 42.6% on 3 days, 55.0% on 9 days, 33.2% on 4 weeks and 9.8% on 10 weeks after the infection respecively. In histological sections of small intesine, most of worms were found at intervillous spaces as ovoid sections of posterior body. However, many worms, especially in 3 day-old worms, revealed protruded anterior body in glandular lumens of crypt. Some sections of anterior body were bifurcated or sacculated. The worms collected from fixed intestinal mucosa under dissecting microscope exhibited a variety of postures. Many worms showed flat shapes with a concavity or curvatures. However, in many worms, the anterior body made a single or multiple protrusions. By SEM observation of protruded anterior body, a longitudinal groove was found. The frequency of worms with protuded anterior body decreased in 9 days, 4 weeks and 10 weeks than in 3 day-old worms. The above findings indicated that the anterior body of juvenile and adult M. yokogawai protruded to lumens of glandular crypt by folding their lateral protions to make a reversible tubelike structure. Frequent multiple protrusions were considered to be made to adapt the microniche of glandular crypts of dog intestine.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Metagonimus yokogawai ; pathology ; intestine

Prevalence study of Metagonimus yokogawai infection, survey of intermediate hosts of Metagonimus yokogawai and food habits of raw sweetfish among inhabitants along Boseong river (120 km), Jeonra Nam Do (province) were carried out. The results are summarized as follows: Among 360 examined, the egg positive case were 128(35.6 percent); male 112(46.7 percent), female 16(13.3 percent). The prevalence rates were different by geographical areas; 42.4 percent in down stream, 49.4 percent in middle stream and 13.3 percent in upper stream. By ages, highest rate, 53.6-59.1 percent was observed among 30-49 group (male 69.6-73.0 percent, female 15.8-35.5 percent). Eggs per gram of feces were 2,084 (200-12,280) in average; down stream 1,708, middle stream 2,590, upper stream l,550. By social strata, the prevalence showed differences; 24.8 percent in primary schoolchildren, 78.4 percent in school teacher and local officers, 30.6 percent in general inhabitants. Clonorchis sinensis infected cases in the areas were 21(5.8 percent) out of 360 examined, and 90.5 percent of them showed mixed infection with Metagonimus yokogawai. Cercariae of Metagonimus yokogawai from the lst intermediate host, Semisulcospira sp., in down and middle streams were detected from 32 snails (5.9 percent) out of 545 examined. All the 22 Plecoglossus altivelis which were caught from the down stream were infected with metacercariae of Metagonimus yokogawai. The number of the metacercariae detected was 22,650 per fish in average, and the number increased from August to October. Experiences of raw sweetfish intake of the inhabitants were found in 208(58.4%) among 356 interviewed by questionaire form (male 76.7 percent, female 20.7 percent). Means of acquisition of the sweetfish were mostly by purchase 68.8 percent, and seasonally in summer. Reason of the raw sweetfish intake was due to the flavor, 83.2 percent. The fish were mixed in soy sause with vinegar before the intake.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Metagonimus yokogawai ; metagonimiasis ; epidemiology

Anthelmintic effect of niclosamide [N-(2-chloro-4-nitrophenyl)-5-chloro-salicylamide)] on Metagonimus infection was carried out to the cases in area of Seomjin-river. The drug, one tablet contains 0.5 g of niclosamide was supplied from Bu-gwang pharmaceutical company in Seoul. Sixty five cases were divided into three groups by the regimen: Group l given 2 g(4 tablets) for one day, Group II for two successive days and Group III for three successive days. Stool examination was done before and 2-3 weeks after the drug administration by formalin-ether concentration and Stoll's dilution egg counting techniques. The results were as follows: Egg negative conversion (cured) and egg reduction (more than 80 percent decrease) rates were 28.6 percent, 10.7 percent in group I, and 31.8 percent, 27.3 percent in group II. But of those in group III treated for three successive days, 73.3 percent was cured and 26.7 percent showed egg reduction, and the general egg reduction rate was 95.1 percent. The results in the present trial suggested that the niclosamide has anthelmintic efficacy when it is used in 2 g for more than three successive days.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda-Metagonimus yokogawai ; niclosamide-chemotherapy-metagonimiasis

An experimental study was undertaken to observe the difference in susceptibility of mouse strains to Metagonimus yokogawai infection by estimating it from worm recovery rate and dimension of worms. It was also studied the effects of prednisolone injection on the chronological pattern of worm recovery in ICR mice. The metacercariae were obtained from sweetfish and 300 in each number were given to 5 strains (CBH, A, DBA, C(57)BL and KK) of mice, and after 7 days period, the worms were collected from their intestine. Prednisolone at the dose of 10 mg/kg was injected to ICR mice every other day from 7 days prior to infection until sacrificed at 6 hours to 35th post-infection day. ICR mice infected with M.yokogawai but untreated were used for controls. The success rate in infection of mice ranged 25.0-83.3% by strains, the worm recovery rate 1.2-18.9%, and the average size of worms 0.554-0.683 mm long and 0.214-0.244 mm wide. The higher rates and larger size of worms were observed in KK and C(57)BL strains than others and the difference was statistically significant. In ICR mice for control, the worm recovery rate until 1 day after infection was relatively high (38-66%) but it became much lower (less than 0.7%) during 1-35 days. However, prednisolone injection brought about persistently high recovery rates (16-80%) until 21 days. It was concluded that the susceptibility to M. yokogawai infection is different by strains of mice but it can be elevated by prednisolone injection probably due to suppression of immune responses in ICR mice.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Metagonimus yokogawai ; susceptibility ; mouse ; immunosupression ; prednisolone

This study was carried out to outline the geographical distribution of the sweetfish which were infected by the metacercariae of Metagonimus yokogawai from August to October in 1979. The infection status was examined both by the muscle compression method and by digestion technique. The result was summarized as follows: A total of 197 sweetfish, Plecoglossus altivelis was collected, 125 fish from 5 streams along the East Coast and 72 fish from 4 streams along the South Coast. Total 125(63.5 percent) fish were infected by the metacercariae of M. yokogawai. The rate and intensity of infection in the south coastal areas were much higher than those in the east coastal areas; the rate was 42.4 percent in the East and 100 percent in the South, mean number of metacercariae per fish was 721 in the East and 14,308 in the South, and mean number of metacercariae per gram of flesh was 43 in the East compare with 904 in the South. The sweetfish infected by the metacercaria of M. yokogawai were newly observed in 5 foci, i.e., Yeongogcheon in Myeongju Gun and Namdaecheon in Gangneung Si, Gangweon Do and Wangpicheon in Uljin Gun, Gyeongsangbug Do in the East, and a branch of Namgang in Euiryeong Gun and Sinhyeoncheon in Geoje Gun, Gyeongsangnam Do in the South. The rate of metacercarial infection was 4.1 percent in Yeongogcheon and 100 percent in others. The number of metacercariae in a fish ranged from 9 to 45,018 and the number of metacercariae per gram of flesh was the lowest in Gangneung Namdaecheon as 19 and the highest in Geoje Sinhyeoncheon as 1,237. Summarizing these findings with previous records, M. yokogawai might be prevalent in the streams along the East Coast southern from Myeongju Gun, Gangweon Do and along the South Coast in Korea.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Metagonimus yokogawai ; sweetfish-Plecoglossus altivelis-epidemiology ; metacercaria

Four cases of human infection by Echinochasmus japonicus (Trematoda; Echinostomatidae) were proven by the recovery of adult worms after a treatment with praziquantel (10 mg/kg in single dose) and purgation in February 1984 in Korea. The patients were 3 middle-aged men and 1 elderly woman residing in a riverside village of Kangjin-gun ( Tamjin river), Jeonranam-do, an ever-known endemic area of metagonimiasis. The treatment revealed numerous M. yokogawai worms together with 1-43 (total 54 ) specimens of E. japonicus and/or a few number of other kinds of trematodes or cestodes. The patients had gastrointestinal troubles such as indigestion and abdominal discomfort, probably due to these fluke infections. They have been eating some raw flesh of fresh water fishes such as cyprinoid ones or sweetfish caught from the river. This is the first record of human E. japonicus infection in the literature.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; case report ; Echinochasmus japonicus ; Metagonimus yokogawai

This study was performed to observe the chronological changes in the tegumental structure of M. yokogawai using scanning electron microscope. The subjected worms were excysted metacercariae obtained from sweetfish, and 2-day, 1-week and 4-week old worms experimentally reared in albino rats. The results are as follows: The tegument of excysted metacercariae showed many transverse shallow rugae, which were more remarkable in posterior half body, i.e., posterior to ventral sucker. The whole surface was armed with many scale-like spines; 7-8 pointed ones on anterior body and 2-3 pointed on posterior body. The ciliated knob-like papillae (Type I) were abundant around oral and ventral suckers, which grouped 2, 3 or 4 in number in most cases. A few round swellings of tegument (Type II) were observed only on oral sucker. The tegumental surface of 2-day old worms showed deeper rugae, and the anterior half covered with knob-like processes of distal cytoplasm and the posterior half with cobblestone-like ones. Interspinous space became more wide and 9 pointed spines appeared on anterior dorsal surface. The sensory papillae enlarged but not changed in their distribution. The tegument of 1-week old worms revealed knob-like cytoplasmic processes in posterior half body and velvety ones around oral sucker. The scale-Iike spines of anterior half body changed remarkably to the slender ones of posterior body at the level of ventral sucker. In dorsal surface, the arrangement of the Type I papillae were bilaterally symmetrical. The tegument of 4-week old worms were finely differentiated and the posterior tegument covered with velvety cytoplasmic processes. The spines had remarkably grown in length and width but the density remained nearly unchanged. The papillae also became larger but their morphology and distribution were not different from younger worms. However, the round elevation of cytoplasmic ridges (Type III papilla) appeared bilaterally on inner wall of oral sucker, approximately 8 in number. From the above results, it is considered that the tegument of juvenile M. yokogawai continued to differentiate until 4 weeks after infection.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Metagonimus yokogawai ; electronmicroscopy ; Plecoglossus altivelis ; tegument

An epidemiological investigation was conducted on Metagonimus yokogawai infection in Hadong Gun (County), Gyeongsang Nam Do, Korea, and following findings were obtained. Overall prevalence rate of Metagonimus yokogawai infection was 29.1 percent from a total of 1,163 inhabitants examined. By area of river and stream, Seomjin-gang R.: 9.5 percent (out of 95 inhabitants examined) in Jeondo Ri in the lower river, 19.9 percent (156) at Dugog Ri near Hadong town, and 90.8 percent (65) in Tab Ri of Hwagae Myeon where Hwagae-cheon Stream joins; Hwagae-Cheon Stream: 42.2 percent (45) in Yonggang Ri of the middle stream and 27.5 percent (72) in Daeseong Ri of the upper stream; Hoengcheon-gang R.: 54.7 percent (161) in Gojeol Ri of the lower river, 40.6 percent (128) in Hoengcheon Ri of the middle stream, and 5.4 percent (93) in Jungi Ri of the upper stream, and 43.8 percent (89) in Uge Ri located along a tributary of the Hoengcheon-gang R. and 4.0 percent (101) in Jangam Ri which is located about 4 km away from the river; Deogcheon-gang R.: 18.5 percent (54) in Munam Ri; Gwangog-cheon Stream: 2.8 percent (107) in Gwangog Ri. The difference in prevalence rate of the infection by area was correlated with the opportunity and amount of raw eating of sweetfish by the inhabitants in the respective areas. By age and sex, the overall prevalence rate increased from young age group and reached a peak at 20-29 age group and then the rate decreased gradually. In high endemic areas, however, a peak level of the rate lasted up to 40-49 age group in male. On the other hand, in low endemic areas, the rate was significantly lower in female, though moderate level of the infection was seen in male. The overall prevalence rate was higher in male than in female and the difference was greater in middle age groups. The most significant mode of infection by the inhabitants was the raw eating of sweetfish which commonly harbour metacercariae of M. yokogawai during summer through autumn. Besides, it was noted that the infection can be acquired through contamination with the metacercariae on food of various side-dish and kitchen utensils as well as on hands of a cook when such fish are prepared or handled. The inhabitants usually begin to acquire infection from early June of a year when fishing of sweetfish opens and acquire infection more frequently in July and August when fish are caught more productively and favored for raw consumption by inhabitants. From September, sweetfish are no more favored for raw consumption and accordingly are dried and cooked in this season. The infection in the sweetfish Plecoglossus altivelis as the second intermediate host was first observed from May with low level of infection and the intensity of infection in a fish rapidly increased until reaching a peak in October when sweetfish season normally ends. The first intermediate host snail of M. yokogawai in this area was Semisulcospira coreana (Martens) which is widely distributed in the streams and rivers in this locality.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Metagonimus yokogawai ; metacercaria ; Plecoglossus altivelis ; epidemiology

There are a number of eating-houses in the basin of river Ahnseong that sell rawsweetfish, Plecoglossus altivelis, to local residents and visitors. These facts called attention to the possibility of wide spread of metagonimiasis in that area. In an attempt to determine whether the metacercaria of Metagonimus yokogawai does present in the sweetfish caught in the river Ahnseong, a total of 77 fish were examined in the period from April to September 1978. All the fish were infected with the encysted larvae. The average number of larvae persweetfish was 1,815, of which the metacercaria rate for the fluke in the flesh was 56.9 per cent and in the scale, 30.5 per cent. These results indicate that all the sweetfish in the river Ahnseong harbour the metacercaria of Metagonimus yokogawai.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Metagonimus yokogawai ; metacercaria ; Plecoglossus altivelis ; epidemiology