• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.121-126
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• 2010

To know the prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis infection and what are the most important risk factors, we evaluated the incidence and risk factors of enterobiasis among children attended in kindergartens in Busan metropolitan city, Republic of Korea. A total of 1,674 children from 21 kindergartens in 11 of 16 autonomous districts of Busan were evaluated for E. vermicularis infection by the cellotape anal swab technique. The overall egg-positive rate for E. vermicularis was 10.7% (179/1,674), and the prevalence of enterobiasis in each kindergarten ranged between 0% and 32.4%. There was an increasing tendency of the egg positive rate according to the population density; the higher the population density communities had, the higher egg-positive rate for E. vermicularis was detected (P = 0.001). Among personal hygiene factors involving children, thumb-sucking (P = 0.036) and fingernail-trimming (P = 0.024) were highly associated with enterobiasis. In addition, taking anthelmintic medications against E. vermicularis infection was strongly associated with enterobiasis (P = 0.014). Moreover, parents' knowledge of enterobiasis was correlated significantly with the incidence of enterobiasis of their children (P = 0.006). In conclusion, we need to consider not only personal hygiene but also parents' knowledge about enterobiasis as a factor in order to develop new strategies for elimination or to complete reduction of enterobiasis in Korea.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.11 no.sup1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2008

Enterobiasis and head lice infestations, contact-borne parasitic diseases, are the most prevalent parasitic infections of children in Korea, and they are transmitted by close contact with infected persons. They are not of major concern in public health, therefore their importance in children's health care are overlooked in Korea. Egg positive rates of Enterobius vermicularis have been reported to be 10~20% among children in kindergartens and primary schools. Enterobiasis is diagnosed by scotch tape anal swab, but repeated examination is necessary for accurate diagnosis. Albendazole or mebendazole are extremely effective for treatment, however, reinfections usually occur if treatment is not repeated at least three times at a 3-week-interval, targeting the whole family members including the patients. Environmental sanitation and health education are also necessary to guarantee the successful treatment of enterobiasis. Head lice infestation is still an indication of public health status. Children of 3 to 12 years old and their families have infestations more frequently, and girls have more than boys. Diagnosis can be made by identification of live lice or nits on the head. Pediculicides are effective treatment of infestations, however they do not kill nits completely, requiring second treatment. Recently wet combing is preferred as an alternative by parents in England because of possible toxicity of drugs and resistance of lice. It is impossible to completely prevent enterobiasis and/or head lice infestations. Therefore, mass screening and prevention are required, and, in local clinics, a thorough evaluation of the symptoms and past history, and appropriate laboratory tests are necessary.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.235-241
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• 2009

The aim of this study was to estimate the benefit from repeated examinations in the diagnosis of enterobiasis in nursery school groups, and to test the effectiveness of individual-based risk predictions using different methods. A total of 604 children were examined using double, and 96 using triple, anal swab examinations. The questionnaires for parents, structured observations, and interviews with supervisors were used to identify factors of possible infection risk. In order to model the risk of enterobiasis at individual level, a similarity-based machine learning and prediction software Constud was compared with data mining methods in the Statistica 8 Data Miner software package. Prevalence according to a single examination was 22.5%; the increase as a result of double examinations was 8.2%. Single swabs resulted in an estimated prevalence of 20.1% among children examined 3 times; double swabs increased this by 10.1%, and triple swabs by 7.3%. Random forest classification, boosting classification trees, and Constud correctly predicted about 2/3 of the results of the second examination. Constud estimated a mean prevalence of 31.5% in groups. Constud was able to yield the highest overall fit of individual-based predictions while boosting classification tree and random forest models were more effective in recognizing Enterobius positive persons. As a rule, the actual prevalence of enterobiasis is higher than indicated by a single examination. We suggest using either the values of the mean increase in prevalence after double examinations compared to single examinations or group estimations deduced from individual-level modelled risk predictions.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.265-270
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• 1997

To assess several chemotherapeutic schemes for control of enterobiasis, 738 children in five primary schools in Chunchon, Korea, were studied from May 1994 to June 1995. They were divided into 6 groups by the schemes: treatment of once or hice a year; treatment of positive cases or of whole class students; treatment with or without family members. The overall egg Positive rate before intervention was 17.5% out of 789 children. Treating all individuals in a class together with family members of positive cases brought better control efficacy than other schemes (P=0.000). However, when egg Positive rate is less than 30%, treating only egg Positive cases also can reduce egg Positive rate. The con- founding factors for the enterobiasis control in primary schoolchildren were new-comer to a class and familial infection.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.497-499
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• 2015

To determine whether pinworm infections and head lice infestations spread among children in orphanages, 117 children from 4 orphanages in Busan-si and Ulsan-si, Korea, were examined for enterobiasis and head lice infestation between January and February 2014. The overall rate of Enterobius vermicularis egg positivity was 0.85%, whereas none of the children had head lice infestations. The rate of pinworm infection was much lower among the orphanage children compared to the rates observed in previous studies among kindergarten and primary school students. Moreover, the risk factors for enterobiasis were less frequent among these subjects than previously reported. The personal hygiene and health of the orphanage children were supervised by a regular, employed nurse through a health education program. In conclusion, pinworm infection was efficiently controlled among the children in orphanages, and this might be related to good personal hygiene practices in Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.139-142
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• 2013

Pinworm infection can occur through contact with contaminated surfaces followed by ingestion or even through inhalation of infective eggs. We have limited information regarding environmental contamination by eggs of Enterobius vermicularis. In order to determine environmental risk factors associated with the rate of E. vermicularis infection, we investigated possible environmental risk factors using a questionnaire from 46 kindergartens in 3 different cities of the southeast area of Korea. In total, using the cellotape anal swab technique, 3,422 children were examined for E. vermicularis infection. We evaluated E. vermicularis egg of books, educational materials, toys, room door handles, dusts of window edges, desks, chairs, tables, and dusts of classrooms. The overall egg-positive rate for E. vermicularis was 6.0%, and the prevalence of enterobiasis in each kindergarten ranged between 0% and 16.9%. We found that 78.9% of egg positive kindergartens were managed by private foundations, which was significantly higher, compared with kindergartens managed by public foundations or the nation. Compared with public or national kindergartens, most private kindergartens were located in residential areas and the number of children in these areas was significantly higher. In conclusion, numbers of children in kindergartens was found to be an environmental risk factor associated with transmission of enterobiasis in Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.149-151
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• 2002

A 36-year old Korean woman consulted a clinic for a regular gynecological examination, and a mass was noticed in her pelvis. She was referred to the Asan Medical Center, Seoul where transvaginal ultrasonography confirmed a pelvic mass exceeding 10cm in diameter. She received total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingoophorectomy, and a borderline serous neoplasm with micropapillary features involving the left ovary and right ovarian serosa was histopathologically confirmed. In addition, a section of a nematode with numerous eggs was found in the parenchyma of the left ovary. The worm had degenerated but the eggs were well-preserved and were identified as those of Enterobius vermicularis. She is an incidentally recognized case of ovarian enterobiasis.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.49-57
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• 2010

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the occurrence and possible risk factors of enterobiasis among children in kindergartens. Methods: A total of 3,921 children were examined from 36 kindergartens in Ulsan, Korea. The parents were asked to complete questionnaires and to detect Enterobius vermicularis infection using the anal swab technique. Results: The overall rate of being positive for E. vermicularis egg was 7.8% ranged from 0 to 29.0%. The infection rate was related to age, gender, thumb sucking, pre-medication of anthelmintics, employment status of mother and number of siblings. The risk factors significantly associated with E. vermicularis infection were gender(OR 1.628), thumb sucking(OR 1.643), pre-medication of anthelmintics(OR 0.614), employment status of mother(OR 0.574) and number of siblings(OR 0.388). Conclusion: We propose that E. vermicularis infection screening among children in kindergartens should be continued on a regular basis. In addition, more intensive control program should be developed and applied to children.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.94-101
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• 1987

Enterobiasis is common helminthic infections found in man. But control of this disease is still troublesome because of its difficulty in the d diagnosis and prevention of infection. Considering the difficulty of accurate diagnosis of pinworm infection, which is very common and somewhat pathogenic, reevaluation of cellotape anal swab method for the diagnosis of enterobiasis was performed. A total of 147 children ranging the ages of 1-12 years in 3 orphanages in the suburbs of Seoul, Korea was subjected for this study. Repeated cellotape anal swabs were carried out against 70 children, 7 times for 3 days interval, in the morning 6am. Finally 10 mg/kg body weight pyrantel pamoates were given to all children including egg negative cases and whole stools of 3 following successive days were collected for the confirmation of residual worm ourden at the time of treatment. Cellotape anal swabs were also performed to another 77 children at 6am, 3pm, 9pm, twice for 3 days interval. The resultant findings were summarized as follows; 1) While the each time average detection rate of Enterobius egg was 28.8% in this study group, the accumulative detection rate up to 7th examination was 62.8%. The accumulative detection rate rose continuously up to 6th examination. 2) After administration of pyrantel pamoate 10 mg/kg body weight, final infection rate was increased to 72.9% by adding worm positive cases who didn't show any evidence of infection in the cellotape anal swabs. 3) Although pinworms were detected in 35 among 70 children treated, 7 cases (20%) of them were egg negative cases in 7 consecutive cellotape anal swabs. 4) Pinworms were expelleded in 14 (87.5%) among 16 children whose swab result was positive in the last examination which was done concurrently with drug administration. 5) Estimated infection rate calculated by best asymptotically normal estimate of Neuman from Moriya's modification revealed 71.5% similar to 72.9% of present results. 6) The result of anal swab performed at 6am was higher than that of 3pm or 8pm. In conclusion, cellotape anal swab method for Enterobius vermicularis infection was considered as method having relatively high positive accuracy. However to gain the reliable infection rate, at least 6 examination is required in the group with 25-30% infection rate by single swab. Moriya's modification of Neuman could be used efficiently in the mass control of this diease for the estimation of true infection rate of E. vermicularis in the sampled population.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.279-281
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• 2000

Pre-school children were examined for the presence of Enterobius vermicularis egg by perianal swab method. We visited 67 nurseries and 25 kindergartens between January, 1999 and April, 1999 in Chunchon, Korea. Of the 4,711 children examined, 434 (9.2%) were found to be positive for E. vermicularis egg. The egg positive rates of boys and girls were 10.1% and 8.1%, respectively. The rates were 7.8% in kindergartens and 9.7% in nurseries. Positive rate of 50 institutions was less than 10%. Rate in 35 institutions was from 10% to less than 20%. Rate in 7 institutions was equal to or over 20%. Out of 1,113 children examined twice, 28 (2.5%) children were positive consecutively, 53 (4.8%) were positive with negative conversion, 47 (4.2%) were negative with positive conversion, and 985 (88.5%) were consecutively negative. It means that in the low endemic area of enterobiasis with around 10% positive rate, the two consecutive examinations may increase the egg detection rate of 4.2-4.8%. The small number of consecutive egg positive children also suggests that the worm burden of the positive children might be low. Since the egg positive rate of that a9e group in this City increased from 1.85% (1997), and 3.0% (1998), the more intensive regular control should be executed.