The Korean Journal of Parasitology  2013;51(1):37-42

doi:10.3347/kjp.2013.51.1.37

Current Status of Taeniasis in Thailand.

Malinee Thairungroj ANANTAPHRUTI 1

Affiliations

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Keywords

Taenia saginata; Taenia asiatica; Taenia solium; distribution; age; sex; co-infection; worm burden; intraspecies variation

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

English

Abstract

Taeniasis is prevalent in all regions of Thailand, except the South. Infections were more frequently found in males than females of any age from 7-83 years. Taenia saginata is the most common species throughout the country. Taenia asiatica was reported only in the province of Kanchanaburi in the Central region. Co-infections, with Taenia solium and T. asiatica or T. solium and T. saginata, were found. Hybridization between T. asiatica and T. saginata is evidence that co-infection is never found between these 2 species. Finding more than 1 worm in a single patient was not entirely rare. Genetic variation was found without correlation to its geographic distribution in T. saginata, whereas no variation was found in T. asiatica.