• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제52권4호
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• pp.419-423
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• 2014

The present study was performed to know the infection status of intestinal helminths in a most common species of field mice, Apodemus agrarius, from 2 southern regions of Korea. Total 133 and 103 mice were collected by the mouse trap in Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do and Gurye-gun, Jeollanam-do, respectively, from July 2005 to June 2006. The small intestine of each mouse was resected and longitudinally opened with a pair of scissors. The intestinal contents were washed with 0.85% saline until the supernatant became clear. Helminths were collected with naked eyes or under a stereomicroscope from the sediment of the intestinal content. More than 11 species of helminths (4 nematode spp., 5 trematode spp., and 2 cestode spp.) were recovered. Among these, heligmosomoid nematodes (97.5%) was the most highly and heavily infected species. As the members of trematodes, Plagiorchis muris, Brachylaima sp., Echinostoma hortense, Echinostoma cinetorchis, and unidentified echinostome larvae were found in the small intestines of 35 (14.8%), 12 (5.1%), 6 (2.5%), 1 (0.4%), and 1 (0.4%) mice respectively. Two species of tapeworms, Hymenolepis nana and Hymenolepis diminuta were also detected in 79 (33.5%) and 21 (8.9%) mice, respectively. Conclusively, heligmosomoid nematodes were the most prevalent (dominant) species among more than 11 helminth species detected, and Brachylaima sp. fluke is newly added in the list of intestinal trematodes in Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제56권3호
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• pp.301-304
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• 2018

Rodents are important reservoirs of diseases affecting people and livestock, and are major sources of parasite contamination of agricultural products. We surveyed the infection status of intestinal helminths in 2 species of field mice, Apodemus agrarius and A. peninsulae, captured in the agricultural fields of Gangwon-do and Chungcheongnam-do, Korea. Total 83 mice (57 A. agrarius and 26 A. peninsulae) were collected in 2 surveyed areas, and the intestines of each mouse were opened with scissors, and then intestinal contents were examined with microscope. Total 6 species of intestinal helminth were detected in 61 (73.5%) out of 83 mice examined. Four species of nematode, i.e., Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, Aspiculuris tetraptera, Heterakis spp. and ascarid, were found in 40 (48.2%), 14 (16.9%), 11 (13.3%) and 13 (15.7%) mice respectively. One species of cestode, Hymenolepis diminuta and 1 unidentified egg were also detected in the intestines of 14 (16.9%) and 1 (1.2%) mice, respectively. Conclusively, this study identified 5 helminth species in the gastrointestinal tracts of wild rodents captured in some areas in central and northern Korea, and N. brasiliensis was the most prevalent (dominant) species rather than zoonotic ones.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제54권3호
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• pp.291-299
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• 2016

Human hydatid disease (cystic echinococcosis, CE) is a chronic parasitic infection caused by the larval stage of the cestode Echinococcus granulosus. As the disease mainly affects the liver, approximately 70% of all identified CE cases are detected in this organ. Optical molecular imaging (OMI), a noninvasive imaging technique, has never been used in vivo with the specific molecular markers of CE. Thus, we aimed to construct an in vivo fluorescent imaging mouse model of CE to locate and quantify the presence of the parasites within the liver noninvasively. Drug-treated protoscolices were monitored after marking by JC-1 dye in in vitro and in vivo studies. This work describes for the first time the successful construction of an in vivo model of E. granulosus in a small living experimental animal to achieve dynamic monitoring and observation of multiple time points of the infection course. Using this model, we quantified and analyzed labeled protoscolices based on the intensities of their red and green fluorescence. Interestingly, the ratio of red to green fluorescence intensity not only revealed the location of protoscolices but also determined the viability of the parasites in vivo and in vivo tests. The noninvasive imaging model proposed in this work will be further studied for long-term detection and observation and may potentially be widely utilized in susceptibility testing and therapeutic effect evaluation.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제51권3호
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• pp.305-311
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• 2013

In this study, we found that Haplorchis taichui, a heterophyid intestinal fluke, is highly prevalent, with heavy worm loads, among riparian people in Saravane and Champasak province, Lao PDR. Fecal specimens were collected from 1,460 people (717 men and 743 women) in 12 riparian (Mekong river) districts and were examined by the Kato-Katz fecal smear technique. The overall helminth egg positive rate was 78.8% and 66.4% in Saravane and Champasak province, respectively. The positive rate for small trematode eggs (STE), which included H. taichui and other heterophyids, Opisthorchis viverrini, and lecithodendriids, was 69.9% and 46.3% in Saravane and Champasak province, respectively. To obtain adult flukes, 30 STE-positive people were treated with 40 mg/kg praziquantel and then purged. Whole diarrheic stools were collected 4-5 times for each person and searched for fluke specimens using a stereomicroscope. Mixed infections with various species of trematodes (H. taichui, Haplorchis pumilio, O. viverrini, Prosthodendrium molenkampi, Centrocestus formosanus, and Echinochasmus japonicus) and a species of cestode (Taenia saginata) were found. However, the worm load was exceptionally high for H. taichui compared with other trematode species, with an average of 21,565 and 12,079 specimens per infected person in Saravane and Champasak province, respectively, followed by H. pumilio (41.9 and 22.5, respectively) and O. viverrini (9.4 and 1.5, respectively). These results show that diverse species of intestinal and liver flukes are prevalent among riparian people in Saravane and Champasak province, Lao PDR, with H. taichui being the exceptionally dominant species.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제58권1호
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• pp.93-97
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• 2020

The cestode Taenia hydatigena uses canids, primarily dogs, as definitive hosts, while the metacestode larval stage cysticercus infects a range of intermediate hosts, including domestic animals such as goats, sheep, and pigs. Cysticercosis due to T. hydatigena has large veterinary and economic drawbacks. Like other taeniids, e.g., Echinococcus, intraspecific variation is found among the members of the genus Taenia. In Africa, few studies are available on the epidemiology and distribution of T. hydatigena, and even fewer studies are available on its genetic variation. In this study, we molecularly identified 11 cysticerci from sheep in Sudan and demonstrated the genetic variation based on the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) mitochondrial genes. The isolates were correctly identified as T. hydatigena with more than 99% similarity to those in the GenBank database. Low diversity indices and insignificant neutrality indices were observed, with 3 and 2 haplotypes for the nad1 and cox1 genes, respectively. The results suggest the presence of unique T. hydatigena haplotypes in Sudan, as haplotypes with 100% similarity were not found in the GenBank database. With few available studies on the genetic variation of T. hydatigena in Africa, this report represents the first insights into the genetic variation of T. hydatigena in Sudan and constitutes useful data.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제4권1호
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• pp.65-72
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• 1998

최근 우리나라는 열두조충과 (Diphyllobothridae)에 속하는 조충류의 인체 감염예가 빈번하게 보고되고 있다. 이는 본 조충류의 감염매체인 어류를 날 것으로 생식할 기회가 많으며, 또한 본 조충류의 제1중간숙주인 물벼룩이 음료수를 통한 인체 감염이 원인일 것으로 추정되고 있다. 조충류의 진단은 충체에 있어 두절과 편절의 형태학적 특징을 감별하여 종의 분류와 진단을 하는 것이 기본적 순서가 될 것이나, 1차적으로 가능한 진단은 환자의 증상 참작과 분변으로부터 충란을 발견 감별하게 된다. 특히 광절열두조충류의 충란에 의한 종감별은 환자로부터 편절이나 충체의 확실한 감별을 위한 사전 정보를 가늠하는 뜻에서도 중요성이 있다. 이에 저자들은 환자의 치료와 함께 수집된 Diphyllobothrium latum, D. latum parvum 그리고 Spirometra erinacei의 편절과 충란을 재료로 형태 및 진단적 결과를 분석한 바 그 성적은 다음과 같다. 1.환자의 분변에서 수집된 충란 50개씩을 각자 선택하여 형태와 크기에 대한 계측을 실시하였다. D. latum의 충란은 난개가 있고 난원형 또는 타원형의 모양으로 관찰되었으며 D. latum parvum은 D. latum에 비하여 더 난원형이면서 작게 관찰되었다. S. erinacei의 충란은 폭이 비대칭적이며 길쭉한 모양으로 관찰되었다. 2. D. latum, D. latum parvum 그리고 S. erinacei이 충란의 크기에서 충란의 평균 길이와 폭은 각각 61.4$\times$41.7 $\mu\textrm{m}$, 55.9$\times$41.4 $\mu\textrm{m}$ 그리고 66.7$\times$36.4 $\mu\textrm{m}$이었다. 3. 각 조충의 편절을 고정 한 다음, 첫째 포매 하고 microtome으로 절편을 만들어 hematoxylin-eosin 염색을 실시하였고, 둘째 고정과 함께 semicon's aceto-carmine 염색표본을 작성하여 현미경 관찰을 한 결과 D. latum과 D. latum parvum은 생식선이 편절의 중앙선상에 위치하고 개구된 자궁구가 관찰되었다. 그리고 편절의 양측에 난황이 follicle로 관찰되었으며 전형적인 rosette모양을 형성하고 있었다. 그러나 D. latum parvum은 D. latum에 비하여 아주 작은 크기로 관찰되었다. 5. erinacei의 편절은 자궁이 나선형으로 5~7회 이상으로 말려서 관찰되었고 음경낭 안에서 저정낭이 이어져 연결되고 있었다. 이로써 본 연구에서는 편절의 형태특징과 함께 충란 크기에 대한 계측과 분석을 하고자 하였으며, 광학현미경에 의한 계측치로 세 종류의 조충 감별에 유의한 참고치를 제기하는 바이다.