• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.155-162
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• 1998

Two endemic foci of heterophyid infections were discovered in coastal villages of Puan-gun. Chollabuk-do, and Sachon-gun. Kyongsangnam-do, Korea. Fecal examina- tions were performed on 153 inhabitants of Puan-gun and 138 of Sachon-gun, using cellophane thick smear and formalin-ether sedimentation technique. The helminth egg and/or protozoan cyst positive rate was 21.5% (33/153) in Puan-gun and 39.1% (54/138) in Sachon-gun. In Puan-fun, the egg Positive rate of heterophyids was the highest, 17.6%, and that of other parasites was 0.7-2.6% by parasite species. In Sachon-gun, that of heterophyids wa's 18.8%, followed by Clonorchis sinensis (12.3%). and other parasites (0.7-5.OBEI . Twenth-two (Puan-gun) and six (Sachon-gun) heterophyid egg Positive cases were treated loth praziquantel, and adult flukes were collected from their diarrheic stools. A total of 3,284 adult flukes of Heterophyes nocens was collected from all of the 22 patients treated in Puan-gun (3-778 individually) , and other trematodes were also collected from 2- 15 patients; Ftgidiopsis sumac, Stellcntchcsmus JcEcctus, Metogoninus Wokogaupci, M. miyntci, Stictodora Juscnta, Heterophwopsis continua, Acnnthopcrwphium kurognmo, and GWmnophaELoines seoi. In Sachon-gun, M. yokognwci (3,007 specimens), H. nocens (120), aud S. falcatus (46) were collected from 5 of 6 treated patients, and H. continuo and 5. tan each from one patient. The present study revealed that heterophyid flukes, especially If. nocens and M. Wokofowai, are prevalent in the southern and western coastal areas of Korea where fresh and/or brackish water fishes are popularly eaten raw.