No abstract available.
Parasitology/history ; Korea ; Periodicals as Topic

No abstract available.
Parasitology/history ; Korea ; Periodicals as Topic

In 1959, the Korean Society for Parasitology was founded by clinical scientists, specialists of public health, and 5 core parasitologists with experience in American science and medicine. The Society this year celebrates its 50th anniversary. Due to public health importance at the time of foundation, medical parasitology was the main stream for next 3 decades. Domestic problems of niche parasitic diseases, unlisted in 6 tropical diseases of major importance, had been studied by own efforts. To cope with the demand of parasite control, evaluation system for control activity was built up. Control activity against soil-transmitted nematodes, conducted for almost 3 decades, was evaluated as a success. Evaluation of praziquantel efficacy for clonorchiasis, paragonimiasis, and neurocysticercosis, population dynamics of Ascaris lumbricoides infection in a situation of continuous reinfections, diagnostic modalities of antibody tests combined with brain imaging developed for helminthiasis of the central nervous system and researches on intestinal trematodes were achievements in the first 30 years. During the recent 2 decades, science researches, such as cell and molecular biology of parasites and immunology of parasitic infections have been studied especially on parasitic allergens and proteolytic and anti-oxidant enzymes. Experiences of international cooperation for world health have been accumulated and would be expanded in the future.
Animals ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Humans ; Korea ; Parasitic Diseases/*history/parasitology ; Parasitology/*history ; Societies, Scientific/*history

China ; epidemiology ; History, 19th Century ; History, 20th Century ; Humans ; Parasitic Diseases ; epidemiology ; Parasitology ; education ; history ; Research

This study was performed to review the transition of infection rate and major factor in decreasing pattern of intestinal parasites infection in Korea. The results of this review study are as follows: 1) The first study on the intenstinal parasites of Korean was performed by Muta(1913): he reported egg positive rate of A.lumbricodies 80%; that of T.trichiura 93%; that of Hookworm 65%. 2) After then the egg positive rates of A.lumbriciodes among Korean people has been higher thant 80% until and after Korean war. Owing to the biannual mass chemotherapy for 20 years be K.A.P.E.(Korea Association for Parasite Eradication), a decreasing pattern was recognized after 1960's. 3) The nationwide egg positive rate of A.lumbricodies was estimated by M.H.S.A.(Ministry of Health and Social Affairs) and K.A.P.E.(1971, 1976, 1981, 1986) to be 54.89%, 41.0%, 13.0%, 2.1%. 4) The causal agents in decreasing pattern of intestinal parasites in Korea are multifactorial such as mass chemotherapy, environmental sanitation, public education, improvement in socio-economic status, development in antihelminths, increase in use of chemical fertilizer, acceleration in national industrialization and so forth. 5) The infection rate of Korea is still higher than that of Japan and Taiwan but lower than any other countries in Southeast Asia. Nevertheless it is apparent that the present situation is not satisfactory and in this sense more effective and efficient control program is desirable.
English Abstract ; History of Medicine, 20th Cent. ; Human ; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/*history ; Korea ; Parasitology/*history ; Public Health/history

This paper deals with cerebral paragonimiasis and cerebral hemispherectomy conducted as a treatment of cerebral paragonimiasis by Bo Sung Sim in Korea in 1950s-1960s. He demonstrated that cerebral hemispherectomy could be used for unilateral diffuse cerebral paragonimiasis. Sim learned cerebral hemispherectomy from Dr. L. A. French. at the University of Minnesota from 1955 to 1957 in America. The authors argues that Bo Sung Sim's introduction of cerebral hemispherectomy to Korea was not a simple application of an advanced medical technology, but a complicated and active process in that Sim used the technique to intervene intractable complications from cerebral paragonimiasis such as generalized convulsions, spastic hemiplegia and mental deterioration. Bo Sung Sim, one of the neurosurgeons of the first generation in Korea, was trained in neurology, neuropathology, neuroradiology and animal experiments as well as in neurosurgery at the University of Minnesota. After returning to Korea, Sim faced parasitic diseases, one of the most serious public health problems at that time, which were far different from what he learned in America. As a neurosurgeon, Sim tackled with parasitic diseases of the central nervous system with various diagnostics and therapeutics. In 1950s, more than one million populations suffered from pulmonary paragonimiasis acquired by eating raw crabs or by feeding juice of crushed crayfish for the treatment of measles in Korea. About 26.6 percent of people with paragonimiasis had cerebral paragonimiasis. Before bithionol therapy was introduced in 1962, neurosurgery was the only available treatment to control increased intracranial pressures, intractable epilepsy, paralysis and mental deterioration. Between 1958 to 1962, Bo Sung Sim operated on 24 patients of cerebral paragonimiasis. In two of them, he performed cerebral hemispherectomy to control intractable convulsions when he found diffuse cerebral paragonimiasis and cerebral atrophy at the operating table. The two patients were recovered dramatically after the operation. The first patient became a part of medical campus for 20 years after hemispherectomy, doing chores at the hospital and helping Bo Sung Sim for his teaching neuroanatomy. The presence of the hemispherectomized patient in the classroom impressed the students deeply. Furthermore, the hemispherectomized patient stimulated Sim and his school to perform research upon the neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of the brain with hemispherectomized animals.
Animals ; Brain/parasitology ; Hemispherectomy/*history ; History, 20th Century ; Humans ; Paragonimiasis/*history/surgery ; Parasitic Diseases/history/therapy ; Trematoda

To prevent and control infectious diseases was one of the major concerns of U.S. military government when they stationed in Korea in 1945. It was because the spread of various infectious diseases can cause social unrest and they can also affect the U.S. military. Malaria was one of the most important infectious diseases to which the U.S. military had been paying special attention. The U.S. military received a severe damage during the Pacific war with Japan due to malaria. It was said that more soldiers were lost by malaria than by battle itself. The bitter experience they had during the war made them accumulate more systematic and practical knowledge against malaria. As a result, by the end of the war, the U.S. military could run more than hundreds of units specialized in controlling malaria. Thanks to such a preparation, they could immediately begin their anti-malaria activities in Korea soon after the World War II. Although the vivax malaria, which is the dominant type in Korea, is not as much a fatal type as that in the Pacific areas, it was damaging enough to the infected. The 207th Malaria Survey Detachment carried out collecting and identifying the kinds of mosquitos in Korea. In addition, they also surveyed the prevalence of malaria among school children in Seoul. In terms of controlling malaria, DDT played a decisive role. Vector control is the most effective and ideal measurements against malaria. Before the development of DDT, it was practically impossible to eradicate mosquitos which arise from extremely broad areas. However, DDT could not be used as it had been expected in the rural area, because spraying DDT in the rice paddies which is the breeding place of mosquitos kills rice. Despite such a limitation in anti-malaria activities of the US military government, it should be noted that a significant turn in controlling malaria was possible thanks to the development of DDT.
History, 20th Century ; Humans ; Malaria/epidemiology/*history/parasitology/prevention & control ; Military Medicine/*history ; Military Personnel ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; United States

A paleoparasitological survey to detect helminth eggs was performed in archaeological sites of Jeolla-do and Jeju-do, the Republic of Korea. Total 593 soil samples were collected in 12 sites of Jeolla-do and 5 sites of Jeju-do from April to November 2011, and examined by the methods of Pike and coworkers. A total of 4 helminth eggs, 2 eggs each for Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris sp., were found in soil samples from 1 site, in Hyangyang-ri, Jangheung-eup, Jangheung-gun, Jeollanam-do. The egg-recovery layer was presumed to represent a 19th century farm, which fact suggested the use of human manures. This is the third archaeological discovery of parasite eggs in Jeolla-do. Additionally, no helminth eggs in archaeological sites of Jeju-do is an interesting problem to be solved in the further investigations.
Animals ; *Archaeology ; Ascaris/classification/*isolation & purification ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Ovum/classification ; *Paleontology ; Parasite Egg Count ; Parasitology/*history ; Republic of Korea ; Soil/*parasitology ; Trichuris/classification/*isolation & purification

Analysis of ancient DNA (aDNA) extracted from Ascaris is very important for understanding the phylogenetic lineage of the parasite species. When aDNAs obtained from a Joseon tomb (SN2-19-1) coprolite in which Ascaris eggs were identified were amplified with primers for cytochrome b (cyt b) and 18S small subunit ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene, the outcome exhibited Ascaris specific amplicon bands. By cloning, sequencing, and analysis of the amplified DNA, we obtained information valuable for comprehending genetic lineage of Ascaris prevalent among pre-modern Joseon peoples.
Adult ; Animals ; Ascariasis/diagnosis/history/*parasitology ; Ascaris/classification/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Base Sequence ; Cytochromes b/genetics ; DNA Primers/genetics ; DNA, Helminth/*genetics ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics/history ; Female ; Fossils/history/parasitology ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mummies/history/*parasitology ; Ovum/chemistry/classification ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/genetics