• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.277-283
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• 2021

Kudoa septempunctata has been reported as a new parasite in aquacultured olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus, and also as a causative agent of food poisoning in humans. This paper investigated the infection of K. septempunctata in 216 sashimi and 20 sushi made of olive flounders in Busan, Korea. Among 236 samples, K. septempunctata was detected in eleven sashimi with 6-7 polar capsules by the microscopy. Among eleven sashimi, five sashimi were positive in Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assay with the targets of 18S rDNA and 28S rDNA. The genotype of all the five PCR results is identified as the genotype ST3 which is common in Korea. K. septempunctata was found in olive flounders sashimi from Samcheonpo and Wando outside of Jeju Island. These findings would contribute to establish the standard of K. septempunctata for preventing food-borne outbreaks in advance and providing further preventive management for the seafood safety.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 2017

Fascioliasis is a foodborne zoonotic parasitic disease. We report 4 cases occurring in the same family, in whom diagnosis of acute fascioliasis was established after series of tests. One case was hospitalized with fever, eosinophilia, and hepatic lesions. MRI showed hypodense changes in both liver lobes. The remaining 3 cases presented with the symptom of stomachache only. Stool analysis was positive for Fasciola eggs in 2 adult patients. The immunological test and molecular identification of eggs were confirmed at the National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China. The results of serological detection were positive in all the 4 patients. DNA sequencing of PCR products of the eggs demonstrated 100% homology with ITS and cox1 of Fasciola hepatica. The conditions of the patients were not improved by broad-spectrum anti-parasitic drugs until administration of triclabendazole.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.345-387
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• 2023

Paleoparasitology is a discipline that applies existing conventional and molecular techniques to study parasites found in ancient ruins. This review focuses on the history of the discovery of parasites (mostly helminth eggs and larvae) in archaeological soil samples and mummies in Korea from the Three Kingdoms Period to the Joseon Dynasty (100 BCE-1910 CE). We also briefly review important milestones in global paleoparasitology. The helminth species reported so far in Korea included Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, Strongyloides stercoralis (larva), Trichostrongylus sp. (larva), Paracapillaria philippinensis (syn. Capillaria philippinensis), Enterobius vermicularis, Fasciola hepatica, dicrocoeliids, Paragonimus westermani, Clonorchis sinensis, Metagonimus yokogawai, Pygidiopsis summa, Gymnophalloides seoi, Isthmiophora hortensis, Dibothriocephalus nihonkaiensis (syn. Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiense), and Taenia spp. tapeworms. The findings obtained by Korean paleoparasitologists/archaeologists have brought about deep insight into the status of helminthic infections in Korea's past populations. Continued paleoparasitological research is essential for further understanding of ancient parasites and parasitic diseases in Korea.

• BMB Reports
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• v.53 no.9
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• pp.478-483
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• 2020

Kudoa septempunctata is a myxozoan parasite that causes food poisoning in individuals consuming olive flounder. The present study aimed to investigate the currently insufficiently elucidated early molecular mechanisms of inflammatory responses in the intestine owing to parasite ingestion. After Kudoa spores were isolated from olive flounder, HT29 cells were exposed to spores identified to be alive using SYTO-9 and propidium iodide staining or to antigens of Kudoa spores (KsAg). IL-1β, IL-8, TNF-α and NFKB1 expression and NF-κB activation were assessed using real-time PCR, cytokine array and western blotting. The immunofluorescence of FITC-conjugated lectins, results of ligand binding assays using Mincle-Fc and IgG-Fc, CLEC4E expressions in response to KsAg stimulation, and Mincle-dependent NF-κB activation were assessed to clarify the early immune-triggering mechanism. Inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, GM-CSF and TNF-α), chemokines (IL-8, CCL2, CCL5 and CXCL1) and NF-κB activation (pNF-κB/NF-κB) in HT29 cells increased following stimulation by KsAg. The immunofluorescence results of spores and lectins (concanavalin A and wheat germ agglutinin) suggested the importance of Mincle in molecular recognition between Kudoa spores and intestinal cells. Practically, data for Mincle-Fc and KsAg binding affinity, CLEC4E mRNA expression, Mincle immunofluorescence staining and hMincle-dependent NF-κB activation demonstrated the involvement of Mincle in the early immune-triggering mechanism. The present study newly elucidated that the molecular recognition and immune-triggering mechanism of K. septempunctata are associated with Mincle on human intestinal epithelial cells.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.299-304
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• 2014

The dose-response models are important for the quantitative microbiological risk assessment (QMRA) because they would enable prediction of infection risk to humans from foodborne pathogens. In this study, we performed a comprehensive literature review and meta-analysis to better quantify this association. The meta-analysis applied a final selection of 193 published papers for total 43 species foodborne disease pathogens (bacteria 26, virus 9, and parasite 8 species) which were identified and classified based on the dose-response models related to QMRA studies from PubMed, ScienceDirect database and internet websites during 1980-2012. The main search keywords used the combination "food", "foodborne disease pathogen", "dose-response model", and "quantitative microbiological risk assessment". The appropriate dose-response models for Campylobacter jejuni, pathogenic E. coli O157:H7 (EHEC / EPEC / ETEC), Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio cholera, Rota virus, and Cryptosporidium pavum were beta-poisson (${\alpha}=0.15$, ${\beta}=7.59$, fi = 0.72), beta-poisson (${\alpha}=0.49$, ${\beta}=1.81{\times}10^5$, fi = 0.67) / beta-poisson (${\alpha}=0.22$, ${\beta}=8.70{\times}10^3$, fi = 0.40) / beta-poisson (${\alpha}=0.18$, ${\beta}=8.60{\times}10^7$, fi = 0.60), exponential (r=$1.18{\times}10^{-10}$, fi = 0.14), beta-poisson (${\alpha}=0.11$, ${\beta}=6,097$, fi = 0.09), beta-poisson (${\alpha}=0.21$, ${\beta}=1,120$, fi = 0.15), exponential ($r=7.64{\times}10^{-8}$, fi = 1.00), betapoisson (${\alpha}=0.17$, ${\beta}=1.18{\times}10^5$, fi = 1.00), beta-poisson (${\alpha}=0.25$, ${\beta}=16.2$, fi = 0.57), exponential ($r=1.73{\times}10{-2}$, fi = 1.00), and exponential ($r=1.73{\times}10^{-2}$, fi = 0.17), respectively. Therefore, these results provide the preliminary data necessary for the development of foodborne pathogens QMRA.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.59 no.6
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• pp.573-583
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• 2021

Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular protozoan parasite that infects one-third of the world's population, has been reported to hijack host cell apoptotic machinery and promote either an anti- or proapoptotic program depending on the parasite virulence and load and the host cell type. However, little is known about the regulation of human FHs 74 small intestinal epithelial cell viability in response to T. gondii infection. Here we show that T. gondii RH strain tachyzoite infection or ESP treatment of FHs 74 Int cells induced apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction and ER stress in host cells. Pretreatment with 4-PBA inhibited the expression or activation of key molecules involved in ER stress. In addition, both T. gondii and ESP challenge-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death were dramatically suppressed in 4-PBA pretreated cells. Our study indicates that T. gondii infection induced ER stress in FHs 74 Int cells, which induced mitochondrial dysfunction followed by apoptosis. This may constitute a potential molecular mechanism responsible for the foodborne parasitic disease caused by T. gondii.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.305-311
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• 2014

Minimum infective dose (MID) data has been recognized as an important and absolutely needed in quantitative microbiological assessment (QMRA). In this study, we performed a comprehensive literature review and meta-analysis to better quantify this association. The meta-analysis applied a final selection of 82 published papers for total 12 species foodborne disease pathogens (bacteria 9, virus 2, and parasite 1 species) which were identified and classified based on the dose-response models related to QMRA studies from PubMed, ScienceDirect database and internet websites during 1980-2012. The main search keywords used the combination "food", "foodborne disease pathogen", "minimum infective dose", and "quantitative microbiological risk assessment". The appropriate minimum infective dose for B. cereus, C. jejuni, Cl. perfringens, Pathogenic E. coli (EHEC, ETEC, EPEC, EIEC), L. monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., S. aureus, V. parahaemolyticus, Hepatitis A virus, Noro virus, and C. pavum were $10^5cells/g$ (fi = 0.32), 500 cells/g (fi = 0.57), $10^7cells/g$ (fi = 0.56), 10 cells/g (fi = 0.47) / $10^8cells/g$ (fi = 0.71) / $10^6cells/g$ (fi = 0.70) / $10^6cells/g$ (fi = 0.60), $10^2{\sim}10^3cells/g$ (fi = 0.23), 10 cells/g (fi = 0.30), 100 cells/g (fi = 0.32), $10^5cells/g$ (fi = 0.45), $10^6cells/g$ (fi = 0.64), $10{\sim}10^2particles/g$ (fi = 0.33), 10 particles/g (fi = 0.71), and $10{\sim}10^2oocyst/g$ (fi = 0.33), respectively. Therefore, these results provide the preliminary data necessary for the development of foodborne pathogens QMRA.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.157-162
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• 1999

Serum from mouse orally ingested with tissue cyst forming stain (Me49) of Toxoplasma gondii was assayed by Western blot and immunofluorescene assay (IFA) to establish early responses in antigenicity of the parasite in mouse model of foodborne toxoplasmosis. Sera were collected weekly to blot the RH antigen transferred onto nitrocellulose paper after being separated by 12% SDS-PAGE. With the second week serum, 34 kDa protein (p34) was detected uniquely, and all antigens of T.gondii were detected with the sera from 3 or 4 weeks. p34 was not a member of the major surface membrane proteins and confirmed to be localized in the rhoptry by IFA. It was secreted into parasitophorous vacuolar membrane (PVM) during the entry into host cells. 10.3% of sera detected p34, while all the ELISA positive sera detected the band. It has diagnostic usefulness of presumed T.gondii infection. We suggest the name of the p34 protein as ROP9.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.439-444
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• 2019

Since Kudoa septempuntata was identified as a causative agent of food poisoning associated with raw olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus, interest and concern regarding the parasite have increased. However, there have been no investigations or reports of other Kudoa species infecting the fish (except for K. paralichthys, which infects the brain) in Korea. We found cysts filled with myxospores of Kudoa species in muscles of cultured olive flounder specimens and identified these to the species level. Mature spores were quadrate, measuring $8.7{\pm}0.5{\mu}m$ in length, $9.2{\pm}0.4{\mu}m$ in thickness, and $12.9{\pm}0.6{\mu}m$ in width. The spores containing 4 polar capsules had a length of $2.1{\pm}0.2{\mu}m$ and a width of $1.8{\pm}0.3{\mu}m$. The partial 18S and 28S rDNA of isolates showed 99-100% similarities with K. ogawai. Using these morphological and molecular analyses, the species was identified as K. ogawai. This study is the first report of K. ogawai infection in cultured olive flounder in Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.75-79
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• 2018

Adult specimens of Echinostoma ilocanum (Garrison, 1908) Odhner, 1911 (Trematoda: Echinostomatidae) were recovered from 2 riparian people who resided along the Mekong River in Savannakhet Province, Lao PDR. In fecal examinations done by the Kato-Katz technique, they revealed echinostome eggs together with eggs of Opisthorchis viverrini (and minute intestinal fluke eggs) and hookworms. To recover the adult flukes, they were treated with praziquantel 30-40 mg/kg in a single dose and purged with magnesium salts. A total of 658 adult fluke specimens were recovered from the 2 people; 456 from case 1 and 202 from case 2. Specimens from case 1 consisted of 335 echinostomes (301 E. ilocanum and 34 species undetermined), 120 O. viverrini, and 1 Haplorchis taichui, and those from case 2 consisted of 36 E. ilocanum, 134 O. viverrini, and 32 H. taichui. Thus, the number of E. ilocanum specimens was 337 in total (average per person, 168.5). From this study, it is suggested that foodborne intestinal flukes and liver flukes are highly prevalent along the Mekong River in Savannakhet Province. The present report describes for the first time human infections with E. ilocanum in Lao PDR.