A survey was made to find the extent of intestinal parasite infection in Kampongcham, Cambodia in February 2002. A total of 251 fecal specimens were collected from Tonlebat primary school children and examined by formalin-ether sedimentation technique. The overall infection rate of intestinal parasite was 54.2% (males, 57.3%; females, 50.8%). The infection rate of intestinal helminths by the species were as follows: Ascaris lumbricoides 26.3%, Echinostoma sp. 15.6%, hookworm 6.4%, Opisthorchis sp. 4.0%, Rhabditis sp. 2.4%, and Trichuris trichiura 0.4%. The infection rate of intestinal protozoa were as follows: E. coli 7.6%, G. lamblia 3.2%, I. butschlii 3.2%, and E. histolytica 0.8%. More than two different kinds of parasites were found in 16.7% of the stool samples. All the children infected were treated with albendazole, praziquantel and metronidazole according to parasite species. The results showed that intestinal parasites are highly endemic in this area.

Since the Gordius worm is a parasite of crickets and several arthropods, cases of humans infected with this worm have been rare and accidental. A Gordius worm was obtained from a three-year-old girl who consulted a local clinic in Gwangju, Kyunggi-do, Korea. She lived in a rural area, and had eaten an insect that looked like a cricket. She expelled the worm in vomitus 15 minutes later; in fact, she expelled two worms, but one was discarded. The worm had a grayish white color and an intact outer surface. It was 16 cm in length and 0.6 cm wide. The posterior end of the worm was spirally enrolled and furcated into two caudal lobes, which were nearly cylindrical but showed a somewhat concave medio- ventral surface. The cloacal aperture was round and situated anterior to the point of bifurcation of the lobes. The cloacal aperture was encircled by a dark ring, which was a little removed from the aperture. The crescent fold was reddish brown, and no hairs were noticed over the entire body surface. The worm had the morphological features of a male Gordius. Accidental human cases involving the Gordius worm are rare and this is the first such case in Korea.