Gangweon-do is known to be highly endemic area of sparganosis more than other provinces in Korea. A seroepidmiologic examination for the detection of anti-Spirometra erinacei plerocercoid IgG in serum was carried out in normal inhabitants in Hongcheon-gun, Gangweon-do. Sere were tested by enzyme-linked immunosrobent assay (ELISA) for the anti-sparganum antibodies. Positive rate for anti-sparganum antibody in 719 adults was 3.3%. Data of the questionnaire for 24 ELISA positive inhabitants revealed that 20 had a history of eating raw meat of snakes, 24 had a history of eating frogs, and 24 had a history of drinking stream water. Two positive cases had a past history of sparganosis. Two positive cases showed current symptoms of sparganosis. The data revealed that ELISA would be useful to find infected cases among normal inhabitants at sparganosis-endemic areas.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Antibodies, Helminth/*blood ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Human ; Immunoglobulin G/*blood ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Sparganosis/*epidemiology ; Spirometra/*immunology

To investigate the earlier cellular alterations(Glucose-6-Pase activity and morphologic features) caused by a hepatotoxin, thioacetamide (TAA), a single dose of the agent (200mg per kg of body weight) was given intraperitoneally to mice, which were sacrificed at intervals of 4, 8 or 16 hours after corresponding treatments. For histochemical study of glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) activity, unfixed frozen sections were incubation of the Wachstein and Meisel medium and stained. The smallest pieces of liver tissue were fixed in glutaraldehyde and osmic acid, and stained by the routine electron-microscopic techniques. Some pieces of liver were fixed in 10% formalin, embedded in paraffin, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. There was a rapid and progressive loss of G6Pase activity, in an orderly time sequence, in the experimental group. There were also morphologic changes: loss of cytoplasmic basophilia, cell infiltration and necrosis in the centrilobular and intermediate zones, and an increase of sER, small vesicles and ribosomes in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes, the marked changes of nuclei and nucleoli, and a slight increase of lipid droplets in the cytoplasm at 16 hours after intoxication. The correlation between these cellular alterations was discussed in view of mechanisms in the hepatotoxic action.
Acetamides/adverse effects* ; Animal ; Glucose-6-Phosphatase/metabolism* ; Liver/drug effects* ; Liver/enzymology ; Liver/ultrastructure ; Male ; Mice ; Thioacetamide/adverse effects* ; MH - ; Substances: ; Acetamides ; Thioacetamide ; Glucose-6-Phosphatase

To investigate the earlier cellular alterations(Glucose-6-Pase activity and morphologic features) caused by a hepatotoxin, thioacetamide (TAA), a single dose of the agent (200mg per kg of body weight) was given intraperitoneally to mice, which were sacrificed at intervals of 4, 8 or 16 hours after corresponding treatments. For histochemical study of glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) activity, unfixed frozen sections were incubation of the Wachstein and Meisel medium and stained. The smallest pieces of liver tissue were fixed in glutaraldehyde and osmic acid, and stained by the routine electron-microscopic techniques. Some pieces of liver were fixed in 10% formalin, embedded in paraffin, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. There was a rapid and progressive loss of G6Pase activity, in an orderly time sequence, in the experimental group. There were also morphologic changes: loss of cytoplasmic basophilia, cell infiltration and necrosis in the centrilobular and intermediate zones, and an increase of sER, small vesicles and ribosomes in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes, the marked changes of nuclei and nucleoli, and a slight increase of lipid droplets in the cytoplasm at 16 hours after intoxication. The correlation between these cellular alterations was discussed in view of mechanisms in the hepatotoxic action.
Acetamides/adverse effects* ; Animal ; Glucose-6-Phosphatase/metabolism* ; Liver/drug effects* ; Liver/enzymology ; Liver/ultrastructure ; Male ; Mice ; Thioacetamide/adverse effects* ; MH - ; Substances: ; Acetamides ; Thioacetamide ; Glucose-6-Phosphatase

A survey was made to find the extent of intestinal parasite infection in Kampongcham, Cambodia in February 2002. A total of 251 fecal specimens were collected from Tonlebat primary school children and examined by formalin-ether sedimentation technique. The overall infection rate of intestinal parasite was 54.2% (males, 57.3%; females, 50.8%). The infection rate of intestinal helminths by the species were as follows: Ascaris lumbricoides 26.3%, Echinostoma sp. 15.6%, hookworm 6.4%, Opisthorchis sp. 4.0%, Rhabditis sp. 2.4%, and Trichuris trichiura 0.4%. The infection rate of intestinal protozoa were as follows: E. coli 7.6%, G. lamblia 3.2%, I. butschlii 3.2%, and E. histolytica 0.8%. More than two different kinds of parasites were found in 16.7% of the stool samples. All the children infected were treated with albendazole, praziquantel and metronidazole according to parasite species. The results showed that intestinal parasites are highly endemic in this area.
Age Factors ; Animals ; Antiparasitic Agents/therapeutic use ; Cambodia/epidemiology ; Child ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; Human ; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/drug therapy/*epidemiology/parasitology ; Intestines/parasitology ; Male ; Parasites/isolation & purification ; Prevalence ; Schools/*statistics & numerical data

A survey was conducted to determine the extent of intestinal parasite infection in Bat Dambang, Cambodia in March 2004. A total of 623 fecal specimens was collected from kindergarten and schoolchildren and examined using the formalin-ether sedimentation technique. The overall infection rate of intestinal parasites was 25.7% (boys, 26.2%; girls, 25.1%), and the infection rates of intestinal helminthes by species were as follows: Echinostoma sp. 4.8%, hookworm 3.4%, Hymenolepis nana 1.3%, and Rhabditis sp. 1.3%. The infection rates of intestinal protozoa were; Entamoeba coli 4.8%, Giardia lamblia 2.9%, Iodamoeba butschlii 1.4%, Entamoeba polecki 1.1%, and Entamoeba histolytica 0.8%. There were no egg positive cases of Ascaris lumbricoides or Trichuris trichiura. All children infected were treated with albendazole, praziquantel, or metronidazole according to parasite species. The results showed that intestinal parasites are highly endemic in Bat Dambang, Cambodia.
Adolescent ; Age Factors ; Animals ; Cambodia/epidemiology ; Child ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; Helminthiasis/*epidemiology ; Helminths/isolation & purification ; Humans ; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/*epidemiology ; Male ; Protozoa/isolation & purification ; Protozoan Infections/*epidemiology

Since the Gordius worm is a parasite of crickets and several arthropods, cases of humans infected with this worm have been rare and accidental. A Gordius worm was obtained from a three-year-old girl who consulted a local clinic in Gwangju, Kyunggi-do, Korea. She lived in a rural area, and had eaten an insect that looked like a cricket. She expelled the worm in vomitus 15 minutes later; in fact, she expelled two worms, but one was discarded. The worm had a grayish white color and an intact outer surface. It was 16 cm in length and 0.6 cm wide. The posterior end of the worm was spirally enrolled and furcated into two caudal lobes, which were nearly cylindrical but showed a somewhat concave medio- ventral surface. The cloacal aperture was round and situated anterior to the point of bifurcation of the lobes. The cloacal aperture was encircled by a dark ring, which was a little removed from the aperture. The crescent fold was reddish brown, and no hairs were noticed over the entire body surface. The worm had the morphological features of a male Gordius. Accidental human cases involving the Gordius worm are rare and this is the first such case in Korea.
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Gryllidae/parasitology ; *Helminths ; Human ; Male ; Vomiting/*parasitology