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

This study was performed to observe the infection status of sweetfish, caught from Kwangjung-stream and Namdae-stream in Yangyang-gun, Kangwon-do in August 1989, with the metacercariae of Metagonimus yokogawai. All of 28 sweetfish from Kwangjung-stream were infected with the metacercariae of M. yokogawai. The number of metacercariae in a fish ranged 89-521(224 on average), and the number of larvae/g of flesh was 12 approximately 55 (22 on average). On the other hand, no metacercariae were detected in the fish from Namdae-stream. It has been confirmed that the Kwangjung-stream in Yangyang-gun, Kangwon-do is one of the endemic foci of metagonimiasis in Korea.
English-Abstract ; Fish-Diseases-parasitology ; Heterophyidae-isolation-and-purification ; Korea-epidemiology ; Trematode-Infections-parasitology ; *Fish-Diseases-epidemiology ; *Fresh-Water ; *Heterophyidae- ; *Trematode-Infections-epidemiology

This study was performed to observe the infection status of sweetfish, caught from Kwangjung-stream and Namdae-stream in Yangyang-gun, Kangwon-do in August 1989, with the metacercariae of Metagonimus yokogawai. All of 28 sweetfish from Kwangjung-stream were infected with the metacercariae of M. yokogawai. The number of metacercariae in a fish ranged 89-521(224 on average), and the number of larvae/g of flesh was 12 approximately 55 (22 on average). On the other hand, no metacercariae were detected in the fish from Namdae-stream. It has been confirmed that the Kwangjung-stream in Yangyang-gun, Kangwon-do is one of the endemic foci of metagonimiasis in Korea.
English-Abstract ; Fish-Diseases-parasitology ; Heterophyidae-isolation-and-purification ; Korea-epidemiology ; Trematode-Infections-parasitology ; *Fish-Diseases-epidemiology ; *Fresh-Water ; *Heterophyidae- ; *Trematode-Infections-epidemiology

A survey was performed to investigate the infection status of fishborne trematode (FBT) metacercariae in freshwater fish from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. A total of 307 freshwater fish of 31 species were collected from 5 administrative regions of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. They were examined by artificial digestion method from July 2003 to August 2004. No metacercariae were detected in fish from Fusui-xian. In fish from Mashan-xian and a market in Nanning, 3 species of metacercariae, Haplorchis taichui, Haplorchis pumilio, and Centrocestus formosanus, were mainly detected. Metacercariae (8 in number) of Clonorchis sinensis were found in 1 Chanodichthys dabryi purchased from a market in Nanning. In fish from Yangshuo, Metagonimus yokogawai metacercariae were detected from all 18 fish species examined. Total 13 C. sinensis metacercariae were found in 3 out of 10 Hemibarbus maculatus from Yangshuo. All 7 Zacco platypus from Yangshuo were infected with 8-112 Echinochasmus perfoliatus metacercariae. In fish from Binyang-xian, H. pumilo metacercariae were mainly detected in all 5 fish species examined, and only 1 metacercaria of C. sinensis was found in a Hemiculter leucisculus. From the above results, it was confirmed that some species of freshwater fish play a role of second intermediate hosts for FBT in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. In particular, 4 species of intestinal flukes, M. yokogawai, H. taichui, H. pumilio, and C. formosanus, were prevalent in fish hosts, whereas C. sinensis metacercariae were detected only in 3 fish species.
Animals ; China/epidemiology ; Fish Diseases/epidemiology/*parasitology ; Fresh Water/*parasitology ; Trematoda/cytology/*isolation & purification ; Trematode Infections/epidemiology/parasitology/*veterinary

Freshwater fish from Vientiane Municipality and Savannakhet Province, Lao PDR were examined by the muscle compression and artificial digestion methods to know the infection status with trematode metacercariae. In the fish from Savannakhet, 2 species of metacercariae, Opisthorchis viverrini and Haplorchis taichui, were detected. O. viverrini metacercariae were found in 6 species of fish, Puntius brevis, Hampala dispar, Esomus metallicus, Mystacoleucus marginatus, Puntioplites falcifer, and Cyclocheilichthys armatus. H. taichui metacercariae were detected in 3 species of fish, P. brevis, P. falcifer, and M. marginatus. In the fish from Vientiane, 4 species of metacercariae, O. viverrini, H. taichui, Haplorchis yokogawai, and Centrocestus formosanus, were detected. Among them, O. viverrini metacercariae were found in 7 species of fish, Onychostoma elongatum, C. armatus, H. dispar, P. brevis, Cyclocheilichthys repasson, Osteochilus hasseltii, and Hypsibarbus lagleri. The metacercariae of H. taichui were detected in 6 species of fish, C. repasson, O. elongatum, C. armatus, H. dispar, Labiobarbus leptocheila, and Cirrhinus molitorella. The metacercariae of H. yokogawai were found in 9 species of fish, C. repasson, O. elongatum, C. armatus, H. dispar, Labiobarbus leptocheila, O. hasseltii. C. molitorella, Hypsibarbus wetmorei, and H. lagleri. The metacercariae of C. formosanus were detected in 4 species of fish, C. repasson, P. brevis, O. hasseltii, and C. molitorella. From these results, it is confirmed that fishborne trematode metacercariae, i.e. O. viverrini, H. taichui, H. yokogawai and C. formosanus, are prevalent in various species of freshwater fish from Savannakhet Province and Vientiane Municipality, Lao PDR.
Animals ; Fish Diseases/epidemiology/*parasitology ; Fishes ; Fresh Water ; Laos/epidemiology ; Trematoda/anatomy & histology/classification ; Trematode Infections/epidemiology/parasitology/*veterinary

A parasitological investigation on trematode metacercariae was made on 62 freshwater fishes of 13 species in northern Thailand; Cyclocheilichthys apogon, Puntioplites proctozysron, Labiobarbus siamensis, Barbodes gonionotus, Barbodes altus, Henicorhynchus siamensis, Osteochilus hasselti, Notopterus notopterus, Mystacoleucus marginatus, Anabas testudineus, Systomus orphoides, Morulius chrysophykadian, and Hampala macrolepidota. The fish were caught over the summer period (February-May 2007) from 2 Chiang Mai water reservoirs, i.e., the Mae Ngad (UTM 47Q E 503200, 47Q N 2119300) and the Mae Kuang Udomtara (UTM 47Q E 513000, 47Q N 2092600) Reservoirs in Chiang Mai province, Thailand. The prevalence of heterophyid (Haplorchis taichui and Haplorchoides sp.) metacercariae in these fish was 83.9% and 74.2% in the Mae Ngad and Mae Kuang Udomtara Reservoirs, respectively. The highest intensity of heterophyid metacercariae in H. siamensis in the Mae Ngad was 120.4 and that in P. proctozysron in the Mae Kuang Udomtara was 180.0. The fish, A. testudineus, C. apogon, and M. chrysophykadian, were not found to be infected with H. taichui metacercariae. The results show that the freshwater fish in Chiang Mai water reservoirs are heavily infected with H. taichui and Haplorchoides sp. metacercariae.
Animals ; Fish Diseases/*epidemiology/*parasitology ; Fishes/*parasitology ; Fresh Water/*parasitology ; Heterophyidae/*isolation & purification ; Thailand/epidemiology ; Trematode Infections/epidemiology/parasitology/*veterinary

Examination of the original descriptions of genera placed within the family Opisthorchiidae has revealed that only 33 of the original 43 genera are valid members of this family. Further study of these descriptions should also reveal that many of the subfamilies are also invalid. With reference to the original descriptions of these genera, and subsequent literature, a brief survey of the family has been compiled. Information on the spectrum of definitive hosts that these helminths parasitize is provided, as well as information on the life cycles, geographic distribution, and socioeconomic impacts of the family. More in-depth information is given on those species that are of particular medical importance; namely, Clonorchis sinensis, Opisthorchis viverrini, and O. felineus. The final aims of this review are to provide information on the entire genera of the family Opisthorchiidae, which will aid understanding of the phylogenetic relationships not only within the family, but also within the Class Trematoda.
Animals ; Asia/epidemiology ; Host-Parasite Relations ; Human ; *Opisthorchidae/classification ; Prevalence ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Trematode Infections/epidemiology/parasitology/veterinary

The Tamjin River which flows from Jangheung-gun via Gangjin-gun to the South Sea was reported to be a highly endemic area of Metagonimus yokogawai infection in 1977 and 1985. However, there were no recent studies demonstrating how much change occurred in the endemicity, in terms of prevalence and worm burden, of metagonimiasis in this river basin. Thus, a small-scale epidemiological survey was carried out on some residents along the Tamjin River basin in order to determine the current status of M. yokogawai infection. A total of 48 fecal samples were collected and examined by the Kato-Katz thick smear and formalin-ether sedimentation techniques. The egg positive rate of all helminths was 50.0%, and that of M. yokogawai was 37.5%, followed by C. sinensis 22.9% and G. seoi 4.2%. To obtain the adult flukes of M. yokogawai, 6 egg positive cases were treated with praziquantel 10 mg/kg in a single dose and purged with magnesium sulfate. A total of 5,225 adult flukes (average 871 specimens per person) of M. yokogawai were collected from their diarrheic stools. Compared with the data reported in 1977 and 1985, the individual worm burdens appeared to have decreased remarkably, although the prevalence did not decrease at all. It is suggested that the endemicity of M. yokogawai infection along the Tamjin River has been reduced. To confirm this suggestion, the status of infection in snail and fish intermediate hosts should be investigated.
Adult ; Animals ; Endemic Diseases ; Female ; *Heterophyidae ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rivers ; Trematode Infections/*epidemiology/*parasitology

The present study was performed to survey the infection status of zoonotic intestinal trematode (ZIT) in stray cats from 5 major riverside areas in the Republic of Korea. Total 400 stray cats were captured with live-traps in riverside areas of Seomjingang (\'gang' means river) (203 cats) from June to October 2010, and of Yeongsangang (41), Nakdonggang (57), Geumgang (38), and Hangang (61 cats) from June to October 2011, respectively. Small intestines resected from cats were opened with a pair of scissors in a beaker with 0.85% saline and examined with naked eyes and under a stereomicroscope. More than 16 ZIT species were detected in 188 (92.6%) cats from Seomjingang areas, and the number of worms recovered was 111 per cat infected. In cats from riverside areas of Yeongsangang, Nakdonggang, Geumgang, and Hangang, more than 9, 8, 3, and 5 ZIT species were recovered, and the worm burdens were 13, 42, 11, and 56 specimens per infected cat, respectively. As the members of family Heterophyidae, more than 10 species, i.e., Metagonimus spp., Pygidiopsis summa, Heterophyes nocens, Stellantchasmus falcatus, Heterophyopsis continua, Acanthotrema felis, Centrocestus armatus, Procerovum varium, Cryptocotyle concava, and Stictodora lari, were recovered. More than 5 species of echinostomes, i.e., Echinostoma hortense, Echinochasmus japonicus, Echinochasmus sp., Echinoparyphium sp., and unidentified larval echinostomes, were collected. Plagiorchis spp. were detected in cats from areas of Seomjin-gang and Yeongsangang. From the above results, it has been confirmed that stray cats in 5 major riverside areas of Korea are highly infected with various species of ZITs.
Animals ; Cat Diseases/epidemiology/*parasitology ; Cats ; Female ; Male ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Trematoda/classification/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Trematode Infections/epidemiology/parasitology/*veterinary ; Zoonoses/epidemiology/*parasitology

The present study was performed to determine the current infecion status of Metagonimus yokogawai metacercariae in sweetfish, Plecoglossus altivelis, collected from several streams in eastern and southern coastal areas of Korea. The sweetfish collected were artificially digested with pepsin-HCl solution and examined under a stereomicroscope in August and September, 2007. Out of 145 sweetfish collected from 10 streams in eastern coasts (Gangwon-do and Gye-ongsangbuk-do), 88 (60.7%) were infected with Metagonimus metacercariae. The average metacercarial density was 61 per infected fish. Among 141 sweetfish collected from 10 streams in southern coasts (Gyeongsangnam-do, Ulsan Metropolitan city, and Jeollanam-do), 140 (99.3%) were infected with Metagonimus metacercariae, and their average density was 949 per infected fish. The present study confirmed that M. yokogawai metacercariae are still prevalent in the sweetfish from several eastern and southern coastal localities. The prevalence and metacercarial density were much higher in the sweetfish from streams of southern coasts than in those of eastern coasts. Therefore, attention should be paid to this small fluke infection, and consumption of raw sweetfish naturally produced in these areas should be prohibited.
Animals ; Fish Diseases/*epidemiology/parasitology ; Heterophyidae/*isolation & purification ; Korea/epidemiology ; Metacercariae/isolation & purification ; Microscopy ; Osmeriformes/*parasitology ; Prevalence ; Trematode Infections/epidemiology/parasitology/*veterinary