• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제41권1호
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• pp.69-73
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• 2003

Lymphatic filariasis due to Brugia malayi infection was endemic in several areas of South Korea. The infection was controlled, or disappeared, in most areas, with the exception of the remote southwestern islands of Jeonranam-do, including the Heugsan Islands. To discover its current situation, a small-scale survey was performed on the Heugsan islands in September 2000. A total of 378 people, 151 male and 227 female, living in 8 villages (6 on Daeheugsan-do, 1 on Daejang-do, and 1 on Yeongsan-do) were subjected to a night blood survey for microfilaremia, and physical examination for elephantiasis on the extremities. There were 6 (1.6%) microfilaria positive cases, all in females aged 57-72 years, and from only two villages of the Daeheugsan-do area. There were 4 patients with lower leg elephantiasis, but they showed no microfilaremia. The results show that a low-grade endemicity of filariasis remains on the Daeheugsan-do.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제41권4호
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• pp.203-207
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• 2003

An ELISA was developed for the diagnosis of vivax malaria using multiple stage-specific recombinant antigens of Plasmodium vivax. The DNA from the whole blood of a malaria patient was used as template to amplify the coding regions for the antigenic domains of circumsporozoite protein (CSP-1), merozoite surface protein (MSP-1), apical merozoite antigen (AMA-1), serine repeat antigen (SERA), and exported antigen (EXP-1). Each amplified DNA fragment was inserted into pQE30 plasmid to induce the expression of His-tagged protein in Escherichia coli (M15 strain) by IPTG. His-tagged proteins were purified by Ni-NTA metal-affinity chromatography and used as antigens for ELISA with patient sera that were confirmed previously by blood smear examinations. When applied to patient sera, 122 (80.3%) out of 152 vivax malaria cases reacted to at least one antigen, while no reactions were observed with 128 uninfected serum samples. We applied this ELISA to the screening of 3,262 civilian residents in endemic regions near the DMZ, which resulted in 236 positively detected (7.2%) cases. This method can be applied to serological diagnosis and mass screening in endemic regions, or can be used as a safety test for transfusion blood in endemic areas.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제60권3호
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• pp.187-193
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• 2022

The positive rate of Clonorchis sinensis is the highest among intestinal parasites in the Republic of Korea (Korea). More than 1.2 million people were at risk of C. sinensis infection in Korea in 2012. An intensive control program is being implemented for residents of the 5 major river basins to reduce helminthic infections, including C. sinensis infection. This study evaluated the continuous intensive control program for parasitic diseases including clonorchiasis in areas near the 5 major river basins in Korea over the past 10 years (2011-2020). A total of 335,020 fecal samples (one sample per resident) prepared by the modified sedimentation technic were microscopically examined. Those who expelled helminth eggs were treated with anthelmintics through local health centers and re-examined 3 months later. The overall positive rate of helminths egg was 7.1%. The annual positive rates were dramatically decreased from 14.4% (2011) to 5.9% (2020). The egg positive rate was highest in C. sinensis (5.3%), followed by heterophyid flukes (1.5%) and Trichuris trichiura (0.2%). The prevalence of C. sinensis was significantly higher in males (7.6%) than in females (3.7%), and the highest in the 50-59 years (7.0%) age group. Our results are beneficial to establish prevention and control policies against helminthiases including clonorchiasis in endemic areas in this country.

• 농촌의학ㆍ지역보건
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• 제2권1호
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• pp.43-52
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• 1977

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제48권4호
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• pp.339-342
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• 2010

Phongsaly Province, located in the northernmost area of Lao PDR, was previously suggested to be endemic for the liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini infection. To confirm, or rule out, this suggestion, the Phonxay village in the Khoua District, Phongsaly Province, was selected for a survey. Ten volunteers (8 men and 2 women aged 31-57 years) who consumed raw freshwater fish and had gastrointestinal troubles were treated with a single dose of praziquantel (40 mg/kg) and pyrantel pamoate (10 mglkg) and purged with magnesium sulfate to recover any worm parasites. Eight of the 10 volunteers expelled 1 or more species of trematodes, nematodes, or cestodes (worm positive rate; 80%). The worms were morphologically identified as H. taichui (861 worms from 8 people), H. yokogawai (59 from 6 people), Phaneropsolus bonnei (1 from 1 person), Trichostrongylus sp. (2 from 2 people), Ascaris lumbricoides (2 from 1 person), Enterobius vermicularis (11 from 3 people), and Taenia saginata (1 strobila with scolex from 1 person). The results indicate that the mountainous area of Phongsaly Province, Lao PDR, is not endemic for the liver fluke but endemic for intestinal flukes, in particular, Haplorchis taichuiand H. yokogawai.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제43권5호
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• pp.436-444
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• 2010

Objectives: Infectious diseases are known to be affected by climate change. We investigated if the infectious diseases were related to meteorological factors in Korea. Methods: Scrub typhus, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), leptospirosis, malaria and Vibrio vulnificus sepsis among the National Notifiable Infectious Diseases were selected as the climate change-related infectious diseases. Temperature, relative humidity and precipitation were used as meteorological factors. The study period was from 2001 through 2008. We examined the seasonality of the diseases and those correlations with meteorological factors. We also analyzed the correlations between the incidences of the diseases during the outbreak periods and monthly meteorological factors in the hyper-endemic regions. Results: All of the investigated diseases showed strong seasonality; malaria and V. vulnificus sepsis were prevalent in summer and scrub typhus, HFRS and leptospirosis were prevalent in the autumn. There were significant correlations between the monthly numbers of cases and all the meteorological factors for malaria and V. vulnificus sepsis, but there were no correlation for the other diseases. However, the incidence of scrub typhus in hyper-endemic region during the outbreak period was positively correlated with temperature and humidity during the summer. The incidences of HFRS and leptospirosis had positive correlations with precipitation in November and temperature and humidity in February, respectively. V. vulnificus sepsis showed positive correlations with precipitation in April/May/July. Conclusions: In Korea, the incidences of the infectious diseases were correlated with meteorological factors, and this implies that the incidences could be influenced by climate change.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제34권1호
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• pp.21-26
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• 1996

우리 나라 고유의 인체 기생 장흡충의 하나인 참굴큰입홉충(Gvmophono천es seoi) 피낭유충에 대한 방사선 조사가 실험적 종숙주인 C3H 마우스 감염 능력에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지 관찰하였다. 유행지에서 굴을 채집하여 비조사 대조군 피낭유충 소사군 및 굴 조사군 등 3개 군으로 나누고, 각 군에서 얻은 피낭유충을 C3H 마우스 마리당 각각 100개씩 경구감염시킨 다음 7일째에 충체 회수율을 관찰하였다. 연구 결과, 피낭유충 조사군에서는 200 Gy 이상 조사시 대조군에 비해 유의하게 충체 회수율이 감소하였다. 생존 충체의 자궁 내 충란수는 50 Gy 이상 조사시 통계적으로 유의한 감소를 보였다. 굴 조사군에서는 50 Gy 이상 조사시 충체 회수율이 유의하게 감소하였으며 50 Gy 이상 조사시 자궁내 충란수의 유의한 감소를 보였다. 이상의 결과를 종합할 때 굴에 200-1 000 Gy를 조사할 경우 참굴큰입흡충 피낭유충의 갈멸 효과가 뚜렷하였으며, 따라서 이 흡충증 관리 방법의 하나로 이용할 수 있을 것으로 전망하였다.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제51권3호
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• pp.383-385
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• 2013

Uzbekistan is endemic of cystic echinococcosis (CE). In order to estimate endemicity of CE, we collected data from emergency surgery due to CE in 2002-2010 and also investigated the prevalence of hydatid cysts in the liver and lungs of sheep at an abattoir in Uzbekistan from July 2009 to June 2010. In 14 emergency hospitals, 8,014 patients received surgical removal or drainage of CE during 2002-2010, and 2,966 patients were found in 2010. A total of 22,959 sheep were grossly examined of their liver and lungs, and 479 (2.1%) and 340 (1.5%) of them were positive for the cyst in the liver and lungs, respectively. Echinococcus granulosus is actively transmitted both to humans and sheep, and CE is a zoonotic disease of public health priority in Uzbekistan.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제31권2호
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• pp.99-108
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• 1993

남한강 상류 몇 개 지역 주민 및 어류에 있어서 Metagonimus속 흡충 유형 상황을 파악하고 이 지역에서 유행하고 있는 MetGgonimus의 종에 대하여 검토하였다. 충북 음성군 주민의 경우 대변검사자 154명 중 15명 (9.7%)에서 Metagonimus 충란이 검출되었고 praziquantel 10 mg/kg로 치료하고 하제를 투여한 5명에서 6,015-24,060마리 (평균 13,233마리)의 충체가 회수되었다. 강원도 영월군 주민의 경우에는 77명 검사에서 37명 (48.1%)이 충란 양성이었고 치료받은 27명에서 1-4,965마리 (평균 1,215마리)의 총체가 회수되었다. 회수된 충체의 형태를 관찰한 바 음성군에는 Metagonimus Miyata형(미야타형흡충)과 서식증ononus tkahashii(다까 하시흡충)가 흔재하고 있었고 영월군에는 Metagonimus Mlyata형만이 확인되었다. Metagonimn Mlyata형의 자궁내 충란은 M. tokohoshii 및 M. yokogawai(전남 탐진강 유역 주민에서 회수된 것)와 비교할 때 중간 정도 크기이었고, 따라서 충란의 크기가 충체 감별에 도움이 될 수 있을 것으로 판단되었다. 검사한 피라미 (Zacco platypus) 52마리 중 49마리, 참마자(Hemiboibur longirostris) 8마리 중 6마리, 모래무지 (Pseunogobio esocinus) 15마리 중 13 마리, 얼룩동사리 (Odontobutis obscura interrupta) 6마리 중 4마리 및 붕어 (Carassius corcssiur) 18마리 중 17마리에서 Metagonimus 피낭유충이 검출되어 담수어가 감염원임이 판명되었다. 이 연구로 남한강 상류 지역에 미야타형흡충(Metosonim Miyata형)과 다까하시흡 충(M. tokohashil)이 유행하고 있음을 확인하였다.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제46권2호
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• pp.83-86
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• 2008

Holostephanus metorchis (Digenea: Cyathocotylidae) is a parasite of birds, transmitted by freshwater fishes. H. metorchis adults were recovered from chicks experimentally infected with metacercariae collected from freshwater fishes, Pseudorasbora parva. The metacercariae were oval, surrounded with thick fibrous capsules. In adult flukes, the holdfast organ occupied the ventral concavity, and the anterior testis did not reach the level of the ventral sucker. Based on these morphological characteristics, these flukes were identified as H. metorchis.