Is it necessary to intake anthelmintics every year in Korea? To answer to this question, the recent nation-wide egg positive rate of the intestinal nematodes in Korea was presented. The anthelminthics which are purchasable without physician's prescription were also introduced with their pharmacological reaction and indication. The egg positive rate of Ascaris lumbricoides in 2012 was 0.025%. Those of Trichuris trichiura and Enterobius vermicularis were 0.27% and 0.004%, respectively. In 2018, purchasable anthelmintics without physician's prescription in Korea were albendazole and flubendazole only. Those two anthelmintics were derivatives of benzimidazole that may cause some side effects such as hepatitis, increase of hepatic enzymes, granulocytopenia, or pancytopenia. These anthelmintics showed excellent effect to ascariasis; while, they are not sufficient to treat trichuriaiss. For treatment of enterobiasis, repeated taking 3 times with 3 weeks interval and mass treatment of the family of egg positive person are required. In conclusion, it is not necessary to take anthelmintics every year without specific diagnosis because of negligible egg positive rate of intestinal nematodes and complicated therapeutic module for enterobiasis. There was no specific symptom of ascariasis or trchuriasis if worm burden is not high. The common symptoms of enterobiasis were pain or itching at the perianal area, sleep difficulty, or diarrhea. If intestinal nematode infection is suspected, stool examination or perianal swab should be done before prescribing anthelmintics.
Agranulocytosis ; Albendazole ; Anthelmintics ; Ascariasis ; Ascaris lumbricoides ; Diagnosis ; Diarrhea ; Enterobiasis ; Enterobius ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; Korea ; Nematode Infections ; Ovum ; Pancytopenia ; Prescriptions ; Pruritus ; Trichuris

The recent trends of parasitic infections in Korea include remarkable decreases of soil-transmitted nematode infections and elimination of lymphatic filariasis. In comparison, enterobiasis (pinworm infection) continues to be prevalent among children and the cases of zoonotic tissue-invading nematode infection are slightly increasing or they are being increasingly diagnosed. In addition, imported parasitoses continue to be problems from the clinical and public health points of view. In this review, the advances in the management and anthelmintic treatment of these nematode infections are briefly reviewed. Albendazole, mebendazole, thiabendazole, flubendazole, pyrantel pamoate, pyrvinium pamoate, oxantel pamoate, levamisole, ivermectin, and diethylcarbamazine are the examples of anti-nematode anthelmintics that are currently being used. Although several of these drugs are known to be broad-spectrum anthelmintics, selection of each drug should be done specifically for each nematode infection, and with consideration of the specific conditions of each patient and the purposes, for example, when performing individual or mass treatment. It is hoped that the chemotherapy regimens reviewed here will help physicians to treat their patients infected with nematode parasites.
Albendazole ; Anthelmintics ; Child ; Diethylcarbamazine ; Elephantiasis, Filarial ; Enterobiasis ; Humans ; Ivermectin ; Korea ; Levamisole ; Mebendazole ; Nematode Infections ; Parasites ; Public Health ; Pyrantel Pamoate ; Pyrvinium Compounds ; Thiabendazole

International travel has become increasingly common as travelers of various purposes. It is estimated that there are 900 million international tourist arrivals alone each year. Unfortunately, some health impairments were reported in about 50% of short term travelers to the tropics or sub-tropics, usually due to infectious agents. In this paper, the author reviewed imported parasitic diseases in Korea from 1970 to 2009 with literature and data collected by Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The author also reviewed warning points about parasitic disease in pregnant and immune deficit travelers. Most prevalent imported parasitic disease was malaria. About 30~70 travelers infected with malaria are returned home anually from abroad, mostly South East Asia and Africa. Subtype of malaria classified from 2003~2006 surveillance data showed Plasmodium falciparum infection in about 55% of patients identified. Over 20 cases of hydatid disease and cutaneous leishmaniasis cases were reported respectively. Visceral leishmaniasis (5 cases), babesiosis (7 cases), loiasis (3 cases), cutaneous myiasis (1 case), pentastomiasis (1 case), gnathostomiasis (4 cases, 41 people), angiostrongylosis (1 case, 10 people), heterophyiasis (2 cases), schistosomiasis (13 cases), cyclosporiasis (1 case), cutaneous larva migrans (4 cases), ancylostomiasis (1 case) and syngamosis (1 case) were reported. Prevention and surveillance plan of imported parasitic diseases is organized and conducted by KCDC since 2001. According to increasing travel to developing or under developed countries, retraining of doctor and technician, systematization of consulting system for diagnosis of parasitic disease, supply of medication, supplement of the personnel, and financial supports are needed.
Africa ; Ancylostomiasis ; Animals ; Babesiosis ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; Cyclosporiasis ; Developing Countries ; Far East ; Financial Support ; Gnathostomiasis ; Humans ; Korea ; Larva Migrans ; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous ; Leishmaniasis, Visceral ; Loiasis ; Malaria ; Myiasis ; Parasitic Diseases ; Plasmodium falciparum ; Schistosomiasis

The transition of important parasitic diseases in Korea is briefly reviewed in this article. Soiltransmitted helminthiases, such as ascariasis, trichuriasis, and hookworm infections, which had been prevalent all over the country, decreased remarkably, largely owing to the national control activities by means of mass examination-mass treatment schemes for school students. Paragonimiasis has shown significant reduction in its incidence, but clonorchiasis still remains as an important health-threatening trematode infection. Intestinal trematodiases, including metagonimiasis, heterophyidiases, and echinostomiases are prevalent, and new species, such as Gymonphalloides seoi and Neodiplostomum seoulense, have been documented as new human parasitic diseases. Tapeworm infections including larval cestodiases are also decreasing. Among the protozoan infections, amebiasis and malaria showed an apparent decreasing trend, but in recent years, vivax malaria has become a re-emerging disease. Brugian filariasis, which was prevalent in southern parts of the Korean peninsula, has been completely eliminated nowadays. In terms of the prevalence and distribution, clonorchiasis, enterobiasis, and vivax malaria are currently the major parasitoses of public health importance in Korea.
Amebiasis ; Ascariasis ; Cestode Infections ; Clonorchiasis ; Echinostomiasis ; Enterobiasis ; Filariasis ; Helminthiasis ; Hookworm Infections ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea* ; Malaria ; Malaria, Vivax ; Paragonimiasis ; Parasitic Diseases* ; Prevalence ; Protozoan Infections ; Public Health ; Trematode Infections ; Trichuriasis

Parasitic infections in Korea have been well controlled during the last 40 years. Soil-transmitted helminthes, Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm infections are almostly removed in this country. Recently, filariasis by Brugia malayi disappeared and no lymphatic filariasis in Korea was announced by WHO in 2008. However, foodborne parasitic infection, such as clonorchiasis and anisakiasis are prominent, recently. Indigenous malaria by Plasmodium vivax has been eradicated in 1970s, and a re-emerged vivax malaria from demilitary zone (DMZ) was reported in 1993. Above 1,000 cases of vivax malaria were reported annually in soldiers and civilians. Imported parasitic diseases, including malaria would be increased by travelers going abroad. This review focused on the changing patterns of human parasitic infections in Korea.
Anisakiasis ; Ascaris lumbricoides ; Brugia malayi ; Clonorchiasis ; Elephantiasis, Filarial ; Filariasis ; Helminths ; Hookworm Infections ; Humans ; Korea ; Malaria ; Malaria, Vivax ; Military Personnel ; Parasitic Diseases ; Plasmodium vivax ; Trichuris

Recently, many peoples travel abroad for sightseeing, business, missionary and other works. At the same time, imported parasitic diseases including malaria has been increased in Korea. The vector borne and food borne diseases were imported from many other countries, Africa, Middle East and South east Asia. Recently many foreigners entered to Korea for studying, working and other purposes. Imported foods, fishes, meats, vegetables are important for parasitic infection, too. The author reviewed imported parasitic diseases in Korea from 1970 to 2006 with literatures. Malaria is most prevalent. And babesiosis of 6 cases, cutaneous leishmaniasis of over 20 cases, visceral leishmaniasis of 5 cases, loiasis of 3 cases, gnathostomiasis of 40 cases, angiostrongylosis of 10 cases, heterophydiasis of 2 cases, schistosomiasis haematobium of 6 cases, schistosomiasis mansoni of 3 cases, hydatidosis of 24 cases, cutaneous larva migrans of 4 cases, and one case of ancylostomiasis, syngamosis, cutaneous myiasis and pentastomiasis are reported, respectively. The protozoa of 5 species and helminthes of 11 species are imported from many other countries. In Korea, re-emerging malaria was appeared at Demilitarized zone (DMZ) on 1993. Last year, 2,051 cases of indigenous malaria were reported by Korean Center for Diseases Control (KCDC). However, the most prevalent imported malaria was Plasmodium falciparum and indigenous malaria was only P. vivax. For the prevention of imported parasitic diseases, the education, training for tropical medicine, supply of medication and vaccine are needed. The surveillance system for imported diseases was started by KCDC on 2001.
Africa ; Ancylostomiasis ; Animals ; Babesiosis ; Commerce ; Echinococcosis ; Education ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Far East ; Fishes ; Foodborne Diseases ; Gnathostomiasis ; Helminths ; Humans ; Korea ; Larva Migrans ; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous ; Leishmaniasis, Visceral ; Loiasis ; Malaria ; Meat ; Middle East ; Missions and Missionaries ; Myiasis ; Parasites ; Parasitic Diseases* ; Plasmodium falciparum ; Schistosomiasis haematobia ; Schistosomiasis mansoni ; Tropical Medicine ; Vegetables

Chewable pyrantel pamoate tablets were administered to children randomly assigned to three treatment groups. Individuals in each group were instructed either to swallow whole, to chew and swallow, or to swallow previously pulverized tablets. With respect to Ascaris, results of posttreatment stool examinations indicated no differences in cure rates and egg reduction rates between the different modes of treatment. However, for both hookworm and Trichuris, mean egg counts increased for both swallow and chew groups, but decreased in the pulverized group. In addition to the highest egg reduction rates, the most parasitological cures were also seen in the pulverized group for these two worms. The status of standards for chewable tablets is discussed. Until the standards are changed it is recommended that all chewable tablets be crushed before swallowing.
Adolescent, Ascariasis - drug therapy, Hookworm Infections - drug therapy

We analyzed 320 clinical samples of parasitic infections submitted to the Department of Environmental Biology and Medical Parasitology, Hanyang University from January 2004 to June 2011. They consisted of 211 nematode infections, 64 trematode or cestode infections, 32 protozoan infections, and 13 infections with arthropods. The nematode infections included 67 cases of trichuriasis, 62 of anisakiasis (Anisakis sp. and Pseudoterranova decipiens), 40 of enterobiasis, and 24 of ascariasis, as well as other infections including strongyloidiasis, thelaziasis, loiasis, and hookworm infecions. Among the cestode or trematode infections, we observed 27 cases of diphyllobothriasis, 14 of sparganosis, 9 of clonorchiasis, and 5 of paragonimiasis together with a few cases of taeniasis saginata, cysticercosis cellulosae, hymenolepiasis, and echinostomiasis. The protozoan infections included 14 cases of malaria, 4 of cryptosporidiosis, and 3 of trichomoniasis, in addition to infections with Entamoeba histolytica, Entamoeba dispar, Entamoeba coli, Endolimax nana, Giardia lamblia, and Toxoplasma gondii. Among the arthropods, we detected 6 cases of Ixodes sp., 5 of Phthirus pubis, 1 of Sarcoptes scabiei, and 1 of fly larva. The results revealed that trichuriasis, anisakiasis, enterobiasis, and diphyllobothriasis were the most frequently found parasitosis among the clinical samples.
Animals ; Arthropods/*pathogenicity ; Cestode Infections/*epidemiology ; Humans ; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/epidemiology ; Malaria/epidemiology ; Nematode Infections/*epidemiology ; Protozoan Infections/*epidemiology ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Trematode Infections/*epidemiology

Soil-transmitted helminths (STH), namely Ascaris, Trichuris and hookworms (Ancylostoma and Necator), present a global health problem to about a half of the earth's population. In the Republic of Korea, STH were highly prevalent and were considered a high priority target for national control. To promote the control, a non-governmental organization named Korea Association for Parasite Eradication (currently Korea Association of Health Promotion) was founded in 1964, and mass fecal examination followed by selective mass chemotherapy with anthelmintics was performed twice a year from 1969 to 1995 targeting whole nationwide schoolchildren. Meanwhile, decreasing patterns of national STH infections have been monitored by 7 times' quinquennial national surveys targeting general population. In 1971, the overall intestinal helminth egg positive rate was 84.3% (Ascaris 58.2%, Trichuris 65.4%, and hookworms 10.7%), which became 63.2% in 1976, 41.1% in 1981, 12.9% in 1986, 3.8% in 1992, 2.4% in 1997, and 4.3% (Ascaris 0.03%, Trichuris 0.02%, and hookworms 0%) in 2004. During the control period, national economy rapidly developed, and living standards including environment, sanitation, and agricultural technology greatly improved, which undoubtedly boosted the STH control effects. Our experience indicates that social driving force to establish an eligible national control system to conduct repeated mass chemotherapy, together with improvement of environment and sanitation, is important for initiating and achieving STH control in a developing community.
Trichuris ; Soil/*parasitology ; Nematode Infections/parasitology/*prevention & control ; *Nematoda ; Korea ; Humans ; Ascaris lumbricoides ; Antinematodal Agents/therapeutic use ; Animals ; Ancylostomatoidea

Animals ; Arteriovenous Malformations ; complications ; Child, Preschool ; Diaphragm ; blood supply ; Hemothorax ; etiology ; Humans ; Male ; Nematode Infections ; pathology ; Pleural Effusion ; etiology