• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.54-59
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• 2018

Pleural paragonimiasis is uncommon in the pediatric population and therefore can be challenging to diagnose. This is a case of a 6-year-old girl with pleural effusion who had been having intermittent persistent epigastric pain and erythematous rash on the face, hands, and arms for 6 months. Exudative pleural effusion with prominent eosinophils and serum eosinophilia were observed. As patient showed high immunoglobulin M (IgM) titers against Mycoplasma pneumoniae, she was treated with antibiotics; however, the pleural effusion did not improve during hospitalization. Despite showing negative stool ova and cyst results, patient's serum and pleural effusion were positive for Paragonimus westermani-specific IgGs on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Respiratory symptoms, pleural effusion, and skin symptoms improved after praziquantel treatment.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.223-230
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• 1994

Clonorchiasis is an important parasitic disease of humans in Korea. The present study intended to compare sonographic findings with histopathological changes in experimental clonorchiasis. Eighteen New Zealand white rabbits were infected with metacercariae of Cknorchis sinensis, and examined 4, 10, and 22 weeks post-infection (PI). Four infected rabbits were treated with praziquantel 10 weeks PI and were examined 12 weeks after treatment. Sonography revealed mild to severe dilatation of the intrahepatic ducts (IHDD) and slightly increased periductal echoes in 12 out of 14 rabbits at 4 weeks PI, and all of the animals after 10 and 22 weeks PI and 12 weeks after treatment. The histopathological lesions were duct dilatation, mucosal hyperplasia, and periductal fibrosis, which progressed from 4 weeks to 22 weeks PI and even in treated rabbits. The dilated intrahepatic ducts over 1 mm diameter were detected by sonography. The present results indicate that sonographic findings are well correlated with histopathological lesions in rabbit clonorchiasis except for early phase of light burden of infection. The sonography has a limitation in discriminating residual sequelae of the ducts after praziquantel treatment.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 1988

Anti-Clonorchis IgG antibody levels in serum were observed by ELISA in 129 egg positive cases and in 25 controls. The antibody levels were 0.063 to 1.216 (0.325±0.202) in clonorchiasis cases and 0.078 to 0.670 (0.255±0.133) in controls. The difference was statistically significant. However, serological diagnosis of clonorchiasis was not satisfactory in lightly infected cases because of low levels of specific lgG antibody. The antibody levels were well correlated with EPG. Changes of the IgG antibody levels were not signiscant 12∼14 days, 4 weeks and 8∼9 weeks after praziquantel treatment. Seven and 13 months after treatment, the IgG antibody levels were lowered significantly. The period for serologically negative conversion after prasiquantel treatment was between 9 weeks and 7 months in human clonorchiasls.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.191-193
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• 2002

Oriental liver fluke (Clonorchis sinensis) infection was surveyed among residents of Hamyang-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea during the period of January 2001 to March 2002. Total 1,041 stool samples were collected from residents who visited Public Health Center and its branches in Hamyang-gun and examined using formalin-ether sedimentation method. The overall egg positive rate was 16%, male showing higher positive rate (21%) than female (10%). The age group of 30 to 50 years had the highest egg positive rate of C. sinensis from 20% to 22%. The positive examinees were treated with praziquantel and educated individually to prevent reinfection . Egg positive rate in this area was decreased when compared with results recorded in the past, however, still remained more than 10%. This study suggests that periodic examination, treatment as well as education of residents should be continued and systematized.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.60 no.5
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• pp.367-370
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• 2022

Fascioliasis is a parasitic infection caused by liver flukes. Although several cases have been reported in Korea, phylogenetic analysis of isolates is lacking. In this study, a 66-year-old woman with right upper quadrant (RUQ) abdominal pain was diagnosed as fascioliasis involving abdominal muscle by imaging study. She received praziquantel treatment, but symptoms were not improved. Lateral movement of the abscess lesion was followed. Trematode parasite was surgically removed from the patient's rectus abdominis muscle. The fluke was identified as Fasciola hepatica based on sequence analysis of 18S rDNA. To determine the phylogenetic position of this Fasciola strain (named Korean Fasciola 1; KF1), the cox1 gene (273 bp) was analyzed and compared with the genes of 17 F. hepatica strains isolated from cows, sheep, goats, and humans from various countries. Phylogenetic analysis showed that KF1 was closely related with the isolates from China goat.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.125-129
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• 2014

Several reports on taeniasis and cysticercosis in Vietnam show that they are distributed in over 50 of 63 provinces. In some endemic areas, the prevalence of taeniasis was 0.2-12.0% and that of cysticercosis was 1.0-7.2%. The major symptoms of taeniasis included fidgeted anus, proglottids moving out of the anus, and proglottids in the feces. Clinical manifestations of cysticercosis in humans included subcutaneous nodules, epileptic seizures, severe headach, impaired vision, and memory loss. The species identification of Taenia in Vietnam included Taenia asiatica, Taenia saginata, and Taenia solium based on combined morphology and molecular methods. Only T. solium caused cysticercosis in humans. Praziquantel was chosen for treatment of taeniasis and albendazole for treatment of cysticercosis. The infection rate of cysticercus cellulosae in pigs was 0.04% at Hanoi slaughterhouses, 0.03-0.31% at provincial slaughterhouses in the north, and 0.9% in provincial slaughterhouses in the southern region of Vietnam. The infection rate of cysticercus bovis in cattle was 0.03-2.17% at Hanoi slaughterhouses. Risk factors investigated with regard to transmission of Taenia suggested that consumption of raw meat (eating raw meat 4.5-74.3%), inadequate or absent meat inspection and control, poor sanitation in some endemic areas, and use of untreated human waste as a fertilizer for crops may play important roles in Vietnam, although this remains to be validated.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.315-318
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• 2009

Quantitative fecal egg counts represented as the number of eggs per gram of feces (EPG) are generally a reliable parameter to estimate the worm burden of intestinal and hepatic parasitoses. Although Haplorchis taichui (Digenea: Heterophyidae) is one of the most common minute human intestinal flukes, little is known about the relationship between EPG and the actual worm burden in patients or the severity of the disease. In the present study, fecal samples were collected from 25 villagers in northern Thailand before and after praziquantel treatment. The EPG values of each participant were determined by the modified cellophane thick smear method, and adult worms were collected from the whole stool after the treatment. Eggs per day per worm (EPDPW) of H. taichui were estimated 82 from egg counts and expelled worms. The EPG was not well correlated with the worm burden, and a reverse correlation was observed between the EPDPW and the worm burden.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.467-470
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• 2013

The present study reports a human case of cutaneous gnathostomiasis with recurrent migratory nodule and persistent eosinophilia in China. A 52-year-old woman from Henan Province, central China, presented with recurrent migratory reddish swelling and subcutaneous nodule in the left upper arm and on the back for 3 months. Blood examination showed eosinophila (21.2%), and anti-sparganum antibodies were positive. Skin biopsy of the lesion and histopathological examinations revealed dermal infiltrates of eosinophils but did not show any parasites. Thus, the patient was first diagnosed as sparganosis; however, new migratory swellings occurred after treatment with praziquantel for 3 days. On further inquiring, she recalled having eaten undercooked eels and specific antibodies to the larvae of Gnathostoma spinigerum were detected. The patient was definitely diagnosed as cutaneous gnathostomiasis caused by Gnathostoma sp. and treated with albendazole (1,000 mg/day) for 15 days, and the subsequent papule and blister developed after the treatment. After 1 month, laboratory findings indicated a reduced eosinophil count (3.3%). At her final follow-up 18 months later, the patient had no further symptoms and anti-Gnathostoma antibodies became negative. Conclusively, the present study is the first report on a human case of cutaneous gnathostomiasis in Henan Province, China, based on the past history (eating undercooked eels), clinical manifestations (migratory subcutaneous nodule and persistent eosinophilia), and a serological finding (positive for specific anti-Gnathostoma antibodies).

• Journal of Korea Association of Health Promotion
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.72-83
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• 2005

The present pilot project was executed to recommend a strategy of clonorchiasis control in China. The pilot area of this project was Zhaoyuan, Hailin, and Ningan, Heiloagjiang province. A baseline survey subjecting 4,865 residents in Heilongjiang confirmed Zhaoyuan asa high endemic area and Hailin and Ningan as moderate endemic areas. Six different control strategies were implemented in Zhaoyuan, two were in Hailin, and one was in Ningan. Including the baseline survey and project programs from 2000 to 2004, total 63,274subject-times were examined of their feces for Clonorchiseggs, 26,680 were treated, 10,082 were screened by ELISA, and 6,130 subjects were examined of their liver by sonography. The egg Positive rates in 6 villages of Zhaoyuan were as high as 44.8% 70,0%. Following the protocolof each strategy, the subjected residents were examined of their feces and treated with 25 mg/kg praziquantel, 3 times. Except the control group, all of the villages showed 72.8% to 92.0% reduction of their original egg Positive rates at Zhaoyuan. Mass treatments of all subjected residents in 2001 and 2003 reduced the egg rate from 68.8% to18.7% and 4 annual mass treatments reduced the rate from 44.8% in 2001 to 8.7% in 2004.Selective annual treatments of egg positive subjects reduced the egg rates from 50.8% in2001 to 13.8% in 2004 or from 70.0% in 2001 to 11.6% in 2004, and two treatments in a year reduced the rate from 57.6% in 2001 to 4.6% in 2004. According to repeated treatments, EPG counts decreased remarkably. In moderate endemic areas, the original egg rates were 22.6% and 28.3% in 2001 but were 1.7% and 1.1% after 2 or 3 selective treatments. The present findings of the chemotherapeutic control of clonorchiasis prove that repeated medication is important. The reduction is directly correlated with dose of praziquantel but not with mass or selective treatments. Chemotherapeutic control of reservoirhosts has little effect on reinfection of clonorchiasis because the field along the Songhua-jiang is too wide to be impacted. ELISA confirmed many serologically positive cases to Clonorchisantigen but only a few cases were positive to other antigens (Paragonimus, cysticercus, sparganum). The abdominal soaography visualized intrahepatic bile duct dilatation and periductal echo in 2,002 of 6,070 examined subjects. In addition to these examinations and treatment, health education supplemented tㅗe control activities. The present findings prove clonorchiasis is very widely prevalent and heavily endemic along the rivers in Heiloagjiang. The results suggest that group chemotherapy with praziquantel is effective to reduce endemicity of clonorchiasis. Mass treatment without individual fecal examination is recommended in heavy endemic areas where the egg rate is over 40% while one selective treatment is effective enough in moderate endemic areas.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.77-81
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• 1986

Two cases of human Echinostcma hortense infection were found in Seoul Paik Hospital. Their stools revealed echinostomatid eggs. After treatment with prasiquantel (single does of 10∼12mg/kg) and purgation with magnesium salt, total 21 flukes were collected in one case. The flukes were 5.9∼7.5mm long, had 27∼28 collar spines around their head, laterally deviated ovary and two tandem testes. They were identified as 5. hortense Asada, 1926. The cases are 38-year and 20-year old men residing in Seoul, whose hometown is Chungsonggun and Seungju-gun, Kyongsangbuk-do respectively. They had eaten raw mesh of various kinds of fresh water fishes (both cases) and/or salamander (latter case) , which are considered possible sources of this fluke infection. They experienced abdominal discomfort and/or diarrhea. Hematology revealed 22% eosinophilia in the latter case, but it became 5% after the treatment. Echinostomatid eggs were not found after the treatment in both cases. These are the 4th and 5th human cases of 5. hortense infection in Korea.